Everyone Has A Dark Side
by Alianne
Summary: Hermione discovers she is the daughter of Death Eaters and is a pureblood. Once she is in Slytherin and is deserted by all her friends she must make some hard decisions! HGDM Pre HBP. NOTE: On Permanent Hiatus.
1. Who I Really Am

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Everyone Has A Dark Side

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, places, animals, or other things that you recognize from the Harry Potter books. Things that you do not recognize from the books are my own, as is the plot.

A/N: okay, my first fic, so I hope I do okay. Well, here goes

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Chapter 1: Who I Really Am

Hermione Granger sat staring out of her bedroom window, watching fat raindrops squash themselves on the glass and slide down. Two days previously, she had received an owl from her school, Hogwarts, bring her OWL grades. She had gotten 12 OWLs, even managing O's in arithmancy and ancient runes, the hardest courses she took. Her parents were thrilled, of course, but Hermione, so used to her good grades, was just bored.

Tired of staring at her back yard, she gazed around her room for something to do. Her trunk; full of wizarding robes, spell-books, parchment, and most importantly, her wand, sat in the corner, and neat rolls of parchment covered her desk. Being a good student, she had finished all her homework within the first week of the holidays, and now she almost wished she hadn't. At least then, she'd have something to do.

Hermione spun around at a sudden rapping on the rain-streaked window. She opened it to admit the saturated screech owl bearing the _Daily Prophet_, which landed on her bookshelf. Luckily, the newspaper had been charmed to repel the water, so it was still dry.

Hermione spread it out on her desk and looked at the front cover. She gasped at the headline_: Death Eaters Target Ministry Officials, 10 Dead._ She had been expecting a large attack like this for over a month, but that did not mute the shock of it! Lord Voldemort's loyal supporters, the Death Eaters, had been suspiciously inactive since seven week ago, when Voldemort's appearance in the Ministry of Magic had finally convinced the wizarding community of his return.

Reading through the article, Hermione found she recognized some of the names of the dead and wounded Ministry of Magic workers. The parents of Lavender Brown, a Gryffindor 6th year, and Marietta Edgecome, a Ravenclaw 7th year, appeared to be among the victims. The people had been attacked at their homes the previous night, and the Death Eaters had killed many people before Ministry Aurors could arrive.

Hermione walked down stairs to the kitchen, carrying the newspaper and showed it to her parents, who were muggles, and although eagerly encouraged her to pursue life as a witch, knew very little of the magical world. Jane Granger was making sandwiches for lunch, while Herman read a muggle newspaper. Her parents, who had heard much about the war form Hermione, were none the less shocked by Voldemort and his follower's actions.

Hermione snatched a spare sandwich off of a nearby plate while her parents conversed quietly in the kitchen. Presently, Jane approached her and said, "Hermione, we hadn't planned on telling you this until you were older, but it might be best for your safety to tell you now," she sighted, " Hermione, we aren't your real parents."

at her mother in disbelief. "What! You mean I'm adopted?"

"Not exactly, 'Mionie. You were brought here about 15 years ago by people who we thought were, er, very strange. They wore cloaks and odd hats and appeared rather eccentric. They introduced themselves as working for the Management of Magic's or something like that. Naturally, we thought them mad. They gave us you and some letters and belongings and asked us to look after you. I had recently had a miscarriage, so I decided to bring you up as my own daughter, which of course your are." Said her mother gently.

"Did they say who my real parents were, or what my real name is or anything?" Hermione asked quickly. She was very pale.

"They told us your name was Julia Lavinier, but we decided to call you Hermione. There were some letters for use to give to you when we decided to tell you this. We wanted to wait t until you were out of school to tell you, but with this war, you could be in danger if you are actually related to wizards." Said Jane. She went down the hall to Hermione's parent's room to fetch, presumably, the letters.

She came back with a large envelope and a letter. Hermione recognized it as a wizard letter at once from the parchment and emerald ink.

Jane handed the envelope to Hermione, who read;

_To Julia Lavinier, to be opened only once she is aware of her background._

She tore it open with shaking fingers, and read the parchment inside:

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Dear Julia Lavinier,

By now, you are undoubtedly aware that your parents are not your true parents, but merely foster parents. Your true family died when you were about a year old. Your parents are Jennifer and Charles Lavinier, both well-known members of the magical community.

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Oh my god, I'm a pureblood, thought Hermione__

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Few members of the Lavinier line are still alive, so it was best that you grew up with foster parents. Present this letter at the Ministry of Magic, London, and you will be given the key to your family's vault in Gringotts. The Laviniers were very well off and influential members of the community. We will be happy to answer any questions you have at that time.

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Sincerely,

Gerald Rollick,

International Magic Office of Law, Ministry of Magic, London.

Hermione dropped the paper and looked at her parents in disbelief. "You never told me this! How could you keep this from me! Do you have any idea what this could mean? I'm a pure blood, not a dirty mud blood as certain people keep reminding me. How on earth could you do this to me?!" Hermione was really angry and didn't try to hide it.

After giving the worst glares she could manage to her parents she rushed to her room and slammed the door very loudly. She was furious with her parents.

A/N: Sorry it's a cliff hanger. My chapters will be pretty short, but I'll try to write lots. Next chapter: Hermione discovers her family wasn't golden good and shocks her enemy! Please R/R! I'm gonna need the criticism.

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Alianne


	2. Death Eater's Daughter

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Everyone Has A Dark Side

A/N: If you read my last chapter, thanks. I hope you like this story. I know Draco will seem mean here, but he gets nicer later. Please R/R even if my story sucks!!!!!

Chapter 2: A Death Eater's daughter.

Later, Hermione sat at her desk, scribbling on scraps of parchment. She was writing to Ron Weasley, who's father worked in the Ministry of Magic.

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Ron,

I've just been told I'm a pureblood, my real name is Julia Lavinier, and I have inherited a fortune. Please, can you ask your dad what he knows about the Laviniers? The letter from the Ministry my parent's gave me didn't tell me anything except that my parents died when I was about a year old and I was given to the granger's to be raised by them. I'm so confused, I don't know what to do. Please help me!

Hermione

She had to wait until Hedwig or Pig came with a letter, so she could send Ron's letter to him.

Luckily, the next morning Pig arrived with a letter from Ron. Hermione immediately snatched her letter off the table and bound it to Pig's leg, shooing him quickly back out the window.

* * *

Two day's of confusion later, Hermione received a reply from Ron.

Hermione,

I'm sorry, this will be a huge shock to you, but your family, the Laviniers, were in with Voldemort. Charles Lavinier was a Death Eater and your parents died when Aurors raided their house.

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You were taken to the Ministry, where it was decide that you would have to be given a foster home until you were of age. No wizards wanted anything to do with a Death Eater's child, so you were given to a muggle home where it was hoped you would grow up to be good, and not a Death Eater.

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I'm sorry, but your parents were right in with the Malfoys. If your parents had lived, you could be engaged to Malfoy or some young Death Eater! I can't believe this is true, except that dad assured me that it was after he asked some of his contacts at the ministry. Still, at least Malfoy can't call you a mudblood any more, if that's any comfort. I hope you are okay.

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Ron.

* * *

Three days later, a quiet and upset Hermione received her book list from Hogwarts. She was again a prefect.

That afternoon, she visited the Ministry of Magic. While her parents chatted with wizards in the atrium, Hermione visited the International Magic Office of Law and; after presenting her letter, was given the key to her Gringotts vault, number 629.

"Are you sure you don't have any questions, Julia?" Asked the anxious man who had given her the key.

"Um, yeah. Were my parents really Death Eaters?" Asked Hermione nervously.

The man looked a little worried, "Well, yes they were. But you never knew them, so that isn't a problem, is it. It's not like you are a Death Eater or anything, is it?"

"No." said Hermione. She did not want to talk to the Ministry people either. She had spoken to the Minister of Magic before, but he had never mentioned any of this. Why had she been left in the dark?

* * *

Later, the Grangers paid a visit to Diagon Alley. Her parents gravitated towards the Leaky Cauldron, while Hermione headed for Gringotts to empty some galleons from her vault.

As she approached the counter, Hermione caught sight of a familiar face: Draco Malfoy, a good-looking Slytherin boy who she did not get along with very well. His parents were also Death Eaters.

"Why, if it isn't mudblood Granger. What would you be doing here? If I recall, you are a muggle. Tell me, Granger, do muggles have vaults of gold in a wizard's bank?"

Hermione, upset as she was, couldn't bear his taunting and burst out, "Watch who you call mudblood, Malfoy. I'm no more a mudblood than you are! Do you know who Charles Lavinier was?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at her, "Why, of course. He was a great friend of father, but he died 15 years ago. What could he possible have to do with you?"

"Did you know he had a daughter called Julia?" retorted Hermione.

"Yeah, she was their kid, but she's dead," snarled Draco.

"Wrong!" Hermione spat at him, "The Ministry saved her and gave her to a muggle family."

Suddenly a look of comprehension dawned on Draco's pale face. It was immediately replaced by shock, "WHAT! I don't believe it. You cannot be saying that you are Julia Lavinier!"

"I am! I'm Julia Lavinier, daughter of a Death Eater," said Hermione smugly, smirking just like a Slytherin. She wasn't sure why, but she was strangely proud to be equal to Draco.

"But than that means that you're one of us!" choked Draco.

"Pardon?" asked Hermione, now puzzled.

Draco sighed, "All the Dark Lords followers and their families are mysteriously tied together. For example, no Death Eater or their children have ever been in any house except Slytherin. Wait! If you are a Lavinier, why are you a Gryffindor? Are you going to be resorted now that you know who you are?"

"What!" cried Hermione, "I'm not on the Dark Side!"

"That's what you think, Julia!" drawled Draco, "The second war's started, you know. Only the Dark Lord's followers are safe now!"

A/N: Okay, that chapter went okay. Coming up, Draco is less hostile and Hermione meets the Malfoys. Email me or write any ideas you'd like to suggest in your reviews. Should Hermione get friendly with the Slytherins now or later on? Please R/R!!!!!!!!!!

Alianne


	3. It's all in the Name

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Everyone Has a Dark Side

A/N: I really appreciate the reviews, keep it up people. We'll, I'm trying to get the plot going right. Enjoy.

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Chapter 3: It's all in the name.

Hermione stared at him. She had so many conflicting emotions she could barely think. She was proud to be the daughter of well known, if not well respected wizards.

She was also scared. Was she going to have to go live with the Malfoys or become a Death Eater?

She was happy she was a pure blood and had something to her name. She was able to relate to Draco and the Slytherins suddenly, if very vaguely and confusedly.

She had not been greatly distanced from the Gryffindors, but except for Harry and Ron, she had never had any good friends among them. They disliked her a bit for her know it all attitude. Did that mean she might find respect from the Dark Side? They would certainly benefit form someone with her intelligence, she knew that. But she was a Gryffindor, opposed to everything Dark.

Suddenly, something she had heard Draco mention popped into her head. Resorted. Re-sorted. Oh, the first years were sorted into the four school houses, but she had never heard of any older person being sorted. She was already in Gryffindor. If the sorting hat had wanted to put her in Slytherin, it should have done so when she was eleven, shouldn't it?

A nagging thought inserted itself into the flow of confusion.

_The sorting hat sniggered, "Well, well, what do we have here? You have great intelligence, like a Ravenclaw, Gryffindor's bravery, yet Slytherin's blood. Where do I put you?"_

Hermione, like Harry, had thought not Slytherin since she had not heard anything good about that house. Because she had heard that Gryffindor was the best house, she asked the hat to put her there.

Hermione also felt angry toward the ministry. They had kept her identity, the fact that she was a pure blood, and who her parents were from her for fifteen years! They had no right to do that! She felt rebellious.

She glared at Draco, who was still watching her closely. "What makes you so sure I'm suddenly going to go over the Dark Side? Yes, I found out my parents were Death Eaters, but does that make me one? I never even knew them."

At that moment, Draco reached the end of the line. Ignoring her, he handed his key to a goblin. "Vault 630 please." The goblin led Draco off to a side door that Hermione knew must go to the vaults. She approached another goblin and gave him her key. "I'm vault 629."

Her goblin stopped Draco's goblin and told him to take her down too, since she and Draco's vaults were so close together.

Hermione resignedly climbed into a rickety cart with Draco and, which sped off at a break neck pace. After a fast journey down the winding tracks, the goblin's whistle brought the cart to a halt by a number of small doors set into the stony tunnel wall.

When Draco opened his vault, Hermione gasped. His vault was full of stacks of Sickles, gallons of Galleons and numberless Knuts. Draco smirked at her, but his cheeks were tinged pink. He scooped mounds into a leather bag, before stepping back to close the door.

The goblin opened the adjacent door for Hermione's vault and she gasped audibly again! It had a similar amount of money stuffed into it. "Oh my God! That's all mine? There must be some mistake!"

Draco smirked yet again. "Well, the Laviniers were well off, you know."

Hermione hid her scarlet face in the vault as she shoved gold, silver, and bronze into her bag. She climbed back into the cart quietly. She was stunned to see this solid proof of her real parents.

Once above the ground she asked "Mal – er, Draco, what do you know about my family? The Ministry," She spat out, 'When they finally got around to informing me about my family, only told me their names and that the Laviniers were well known. I suppose they meant infamous by that." While she did not especially want to talk to Draco, he was the only one who could possibly answer her questions.

"Well Granger – I mean Hermione, uh I mean Julia, er… Well, who are you? I suppose you could be either Hermione Granger or Julia Lavinier, but which do you want to be?" said Draco, unusually flustered.

After thinking hard with her forehead scrunched up amusingly, Hermione replied slowly, 'Well, it makes sense to call myself Lavinier not Granger, since I'm not a muggle, but I'm not sure I want to be Julia. I'm not really a Julia, am I? I'm more of a Hermione, don't you think?" Hermione looked down at herself. She wasn't quite sure how she could be holding a relatively calm conversation with one of her enemies, except that Draco was actually being really nice.

Draco was taken aback by being asked his opinion of whom Hermione looked like. 'Uhh, I don't really know."

"I think I'll stick with Hermione," she decided. "Most people know me as that, anyway. I'd like it if you could call me Hermione, too, you know. I'm not exactly a Granger," she said with a slight smile.

"Uh, okay - Hermione." Hoping to forestall any further name conversation, Draco said, " you asked me what I know about your family, but I was only about one too, when you supposedly, uh, died. The ministry has its own secrets, you know."

"My parents would probably be able to tell you all about your parents. They were best friends with your family, you know. Say, do you want to come meet them? They'd be thrilled to meet you, I mean now that you're a Lavinier. They are probably chatting in the Black Dragon in Knockturn alley. It's a pub there. Want to come?" he said hopefully, surprising Hermione. Thirty minutes ago, he had been smirking at her and calling her a mudblood.

"Okay." She replied quickly, eager to hear more about her family. "I'll get my books and stuff later."

A/N: Thank you gokusgal, paprika90, natyslacks, HermioneDraco4Life08, Samara, scholcomp25, and FandomAvenger for your reviews! I really appreciate it.

Look over the previous two chapters, because I figured out how to get bolds and italics, so I updated them. Next, she's going to go with Draco into Knockturn alley, which is not exactly the best side of town, and meet the Malfoys. Please email or write reviews with any ideas or suggestions you have. I'll try to put the next chapter up by Friday. Thanx!

Click the little SUBMIT REVIEW button now please.

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Alianne


	4. The Malfoys

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Everyone Has A Dark Side

N/A: This is so cool! I have got 14 reviews! Thank you all of you! I'm sorry I'm updating a day late, but I tried to make it a little longer than my other chapters. Here you go, enjoy.

Chapter 4: The Malfoy's

Hermione followed Draco down a dark alley off to the right of Gringotts. It widened into a twisting path between the strangest and most sinister shops Hermione had ever seen.

A store selling poisons had a large display of painful remedies outside its door. A large shop called Borgins and Burkes had a window full of dusty objects. The whole place reminded Hermione forcefully of the way Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, the HQ of the Order of the Phoenix, had looked like when she first arrived there. A necklace displayed on a bloodstained velvet cushion was labeled with _Caution! Cursed, has claimed twelve lives to date._ A note by a sliver bowl in formed Hermione that it would poison all those who ate out of it except its owner. A store selling potion ingredients sold many things Hermione had never heard of and some of which she was sure were illegal.

The Black Dragon, which looked easily as sinister as the adjacent store selling jinxed books, was located on a corner. Outside it hung a sign with a picture of a large black dragon merrily burning innocent muggles to ash.

Draco led her across the street towards it, but before they reached the pub, the door opened, and two girls spilled out. Pansy Parkinson took one look at Hermione and shrieked at Draco, "What the hell are you doing with that mudblood scum, Draco!" The other girl, Blaise Zabini just glared stonily at Draco.

"Pansy, chill! Just listen for a second. This is Julia Lavinier. You know who the Laviniers were, don't you? The Ministry's only just told Hermione who here real parents were," Draco said quickly. " It's okay, she's one of us," her said, shooting meaningful looks at the two Slytherin girls.

Pansy gasped, but Blaise smirked at Draco and said, "Let's say for a second I believe you. She's still a Gryffindor!" Blaise spat out, " What do you think you're doing?!"

"Malfoy, I mean Draco is going to introduce me to his parents, who were, I think, good friends with my parents. I would like to find out a bit about my family, and they might be able to tell me some. Why do you hate me so much? You a barely know me from school."

Blaise gave a high pitched laugh "Why we hat you? Well you are best friends with Prince Potter, who almost destroyed the Dark Lord, you're friendly with the people in that secretive Order of the Phoenix, who are constantly trying to land all our parents in Azkaban, and you're in Gryffindor."

"How could a Gryffindor and a Slytherin ever be anything but enemies?" Pansy asked quietly.

"I always though I knew who I was, but it turned out I was wrong. I still don't know who I am or where I belong. Perhaps I'm not the girl you thought I was either," said Hermione, taking the others by surprise.

"I was always taught who to be. Decent, perfect, like any Gryffindor. But, maybe that's not who I really am. My parents were on the Dark Side. If they were still alive, would I be in Slytherin, best friends with you all? The Ministry isn't all that honorable either, look how they withheld knowledge from me. I'm sixteen! And it wasn't them who told me; it was my muggle, foster-parents. It's been a confusing week and I don't want to fight with you. I just want to know were I belong." She finished quietly.

The three Slytherins stared at her. They had fully expected her to be angry, not to express her confusion. Was it possible she didn't know which side she wanted to be on?

"Draco, you were going to ask your parents to explain a bit about my family to me," Hermione said, pointing toward the Black Dragon.

Pansy and Blaise both glanced oddly at Hermione before walking out of sight among the milling witches and wizards.

"You know," Draco told her as he lead her into the Black Dragon, " You aren't really the girl I thought you'd be. I expected you to deny having any connections to the Dark Side or Death Eaters. It sounds to me as if you aren't sure which side you're on. That doesn't sound like the Hermione I know."

"Well, I'm not Hermione Granger any more, am I?" she said silkily, "I am a Lavinier now."

* * *

The Black Dragon was very different form it's surroundings. While it was dark and dusty, it was not very sinister. On the contrary, it was packed with witches and wizards talking animatedly. Hermione was reminded of the pub called the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.

Draco led her over to a table at which sat a tall blond woman and a blond man with a pale, pointed face. Lucius Malfoy looked up at Draco as he approached. "Father, can I introduce you to someone I met?" said Draco smoothly, "This is Julia Lavinier," he said, beckoning Hermione forward.

Both adults gaped, but Lucius said quickly, "Draco, that's the mudblood muggle girl who is Potter and Weasley's friend."

"Hermione lived with muggles, but she is a pureblood Lavinier. The Ministry just told hr this week. They had given her to a muggle family after the Aurors killed her parents," Draco drawled.

"That's impossible, Charles and Jennifer's Daughter died, " snarled Mr. Malfoy.

"Lucius, dear, look at the girl. She resembles Jennifer so much. Why didn't I see it before?" breathed Narcissa Malfoy, laying a calming hand on her husbands arm.

"I suppose she does. So, you are Julia Lavinier now? We used to be good friends with your parents," said Lucius to Hermione.

"Um, Mr. Malfoy, could you call me Hermione Lavinier. I'm not used to the name Julia. But please, would you tell me a little about my parents. I know nothing of them except their names." Said Hermione carefully. Lucius was a Death Eater, so Hermione was quiet and very polite.

"You want to know more about your family? Well, your father, Charles, was one of my good friends at Hogwarts, and your mother was two years younger than we were. Both your parents were in Slytherin," he continued, confirming one of Hermione's suspicions. I suppose you know by now that your family was on the Dark Side?" asked Lucius. Hermione nodded. " Well, that's who they were. Do you want to ask anything?"

"Well, did my parents go to school at about the same time as the Potters and their gang?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, we all knew them quite well."

" Did you all get along?"

"We were worst enemies, much like Draco and that Potter boy are now," said Mr. Malfoy indifferently. "Well, if that's all, it's nice to meet you, Hermione Lavinier. We were, as I've said, good friends with your parents. Perhaps you can get to know Draco or visit our manor in the holidays if it gets boring living with muggles, " said Lucius kindly. He exchanged a look with his wife.

"Hermione, dear, I doubt you know this, but we are your godparents. That means that if you want a wizarding family, we'd be happy to take you in, " Narcissa said quickly.

"You mean you're my guardians?" Hermione exclaimed, unsure what to think. She had been uncomfortable around her parents since they had revealed the trutht. She was angry they hadn't told her sooner and felt like a stranger there. Would she, could she, fit in with the Malfoys?

Both adults nodded. Draco looked very surprised, "Well, I'll certainly think about it. Thank you! So much has happened in the last week, though, that I'm a little overwhelmed, but I'll defiantly think about that. I'd better meet my parents in Diagon Alley though." She smiled happily at them all before leaving the Black Dragon slowly, pondering all she had been told.

N/A: There that took long enough. Coming up: Soon Hermione returns to Hogwarts, but she might meet Draco again before that, I haven't really decided. I hope I can think of some good ideas. They all seem to have been taken already though, and I don't want to copy anyone. sigh I need ideas! You're welcome to suggest things in your reviews or email me. Thanx y'all. Hey, I'm Southern, okay?

Alianne


	5. The End of the Summer

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Everyone Has A Dark Side

A/N: Okay, I know I changed this, but sorry I had to for the plot to work out later. Bear with me please! Sorry I took a while, people, but school is tiring. This is the last chapter before she goes back to Hogwarts. I appreciate any questions, comments, ideas, or suggestions, especially on a romance aspect. I don't know how good I'll be with this once H and D like each other.

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Chapter 5: The End of Summer

Hermione wound her way through the witches and wizards and, after politely refusing to buy any poisonous candles from an old hag, came towards the end of Knockturn Alley. Gringott's white marble walls gleamed in the distance as she past the store selling painful poisons.

She came out into the sunlight. "Hey Hermione! A tall, gangly, red haired boy called out. Ron Weasley was standing outside a small store near Gringotts with Ginny, his sister, a slightly shorter flame haired girl.

They walked towards her as she ran to greet them. Ron said rather coolly, "Hi Hermione, its been a while since I saw you. I heard about your family and stuff. Imagine your parents being friends with the Malfoys! I can't bear to think of it!" Ron made it clear he thought that the fact she was a Lavinier was repulsive.

"It's so confusing! I couldn't believe it at first. Thanks for asking your dad that stuff for me though. Anyways, what did you do this summer? I visited an aunt in France for a few weeks and I went to Belgium for a couple days, too. They have the best chocolate in the world there! It was great! I stayed at home otherwise though." Said Hermione. She did not want to discuss the Laviniers with Ron.

"I hung out with Fred and George mostly." Ron said, "Come see Fred and George's store. It's the tiny one over there." He pointed to the store he had been standing by. Hermione nodded and Ron led her over. Suddenly he turned to her. "Hermione, why were you just in Knockturn Alley? We're not even allowed near it."

"Oh, I just went to buy some potion ingredients." She said quickly. Knowing Ron, it would be very unwise to mention Malfoy or the other Slytherins and especially not her conversation with the Malfoys. "They're cheaper there."

"Of course," said Ron sarcastically. "So, have you heard much about the War? The Ministry is trying to recruit Aurors like crazy to keep up with the Death Eaters. Only problem is, no one is anxious to get killed, so they are having a hard time finding anyone who'll get involved. You-Know-Who is going after the people with the Ministry and those who oppose them strongly, like the Order. Dad says that some of the Order have also been attacked."

"Speaking of that, how come we haven't gone over to Grimmauld Place this summer?" asked Hermione.

"Oh, what with You-Know-Who out in the open, they are working a lot harder and now that they don't have to be secretive, kids would just be in the way. My parents are doing a lot of stuff for them though. My Mom's invited you over to the Burrow next week. You can stay until we go back to Hogwarts. Harry's coming, too. Did you get the owl?" he said in voice devoid of interest.

"My parents are in the Leaky Cauldron. I'll ask them just now, but I'd like to come! So, this is Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes?" she asked looking around as they entered number 93. One of the twins, she thought it was Fred, yelled hello as he stocked a shelf of fake wands. The walls were lined with canary creams, headless hats, ton tongue toffees, extendible ears, skiving snack boxes, fireworks, and other tricks.

"How's business?" Hermione said.

"Oh, it's booming! Do you want to try some Lurid Lollipops?" said Fred.

Hermione looked suspicious, "What do they do?"

"Watch," Fred pulled the wrapper off a white lollipop and licked it. Immediately his skin, hair, eyes, and teeth turned a lurid shad of green, which gradually faded until he took another lick.

"No thank you! That makes you look like and overgrown Flobberworm. I'd rather be a Blast-Ended Skrewt!" she said in disgust. Then, "I'm going to get my books in Flourish and Blotts, see you later." She wondered why Ron and Fred had not been very friendly. Perhaps it was because of her parents. Maybe he was worried what effect it might have on her. Did he think she would suddenly join the Dark Side and become a Death Eater just because her parents were? What a great friend.

Hermione walked past stores selling quills as well as Ollivanders, the wand shop. As she passed Eeylops Owl Emporium, which sold all kinds of owls, she stopped. Her purse was full and she considered getting an owl. She had Crookshanks, her grouchy ginger cat, of course, but an owl would be so useful. She remembered how annoying it had been to wait until Ron's owl arrived until she could send her letter to him. She went inside to the dark, musty interior and looked over the perches of sleepy owls. Barn owls ruffled their feathers. A dark chocolate colored eagle owl clicked its bronze toned beak at her. It was beautiful. She went to the counter. "Excuse me, how much would that owl, the brown one up over there cost?" she said pointing to the eagle owl.

"Three Galleons, eleven sickles," answered a witch in ugly gray-green robes at the counter. Hermione handed over the money and bought a cage as well.

A few minutes later she stepped out the door balancing the cage, her bag of books, and some potion ingredients in her arms. Wishing she could perform shrinking charms outside school; she entered the Leaky Cauldron, where she found her father asking a tall American wizard about wizarding dentistry. Foster father she reminded herself. Her father, a muggle dentist like her mother, was eager go discover how wizards practiced dental hygiene.

"Oh, some people use charms on their teeth, but others just use toothbrushes," the wizard said. "You can buy them in Diagon Alley."

She dropped her purchases on the table and, lacking anything else to do, showed her foster mother the owl. Her mother admired it and suggested some possible names. "Why not Darkness, she's quite a dark brown."

"No mom, uh - Jane, that's a cats name. How about Gadsel?"She had felt distant from her parents since she had found out about her true parents.

"No, no Hermione, honey, that sounds like a window cleaner. What about Dark Lady? It fits her coloring and she is rather ladylike," said her mother as the owl fluffed her feathers and balance serenely on one leg.

"Well, that does suit her. What do you think, beautiful? Should I call you Dark Lady?" The owl ruffled her feathers again, which Hermione took to mean yes. "Okay then," said Hermione happily. "Oh, and um, Jane, Ron's mom invited me to stay with them next week and until school starts again. I'm going."

"Sure Hermione," Said Mrs. Granger, trying to be sweet. Hermione left the pub to go tell Ron.

* * *

A day later, Hermione took the Knight Bus to the Burrow. "It would be so much easier to Apparate," she complained to herself. "Still, its only one more year before I can. I'll be of age next June." The bus let out a bang and barns scuttled out of the way as it drew up to the Weasley's house, the Burrow.

The Burrow was a shabby, but homely place five stories tall that seemed to be held together by magic. She knew it probably was.

Plump little Mrs. Weasley greeted Hermione in a strained way at the door and led her up to Ginny's room on the third floor. Hermione would share Ginny's room for the next week. After Hermione had put down her duffel bag, Hogwarts trunk, and let Dark Lady out of her cage, she went up two more floors to Ron's room, where she found him playing a violent game of Wizard Chess against Harry.

"Oh, its you." Harry said as she opened the door. He had grown taller, though not as tall as Ron had, and he looked awkwardly at Hermione. "Ron told me about your family. It is a big shock to find out who your parents are." said Harry without sympathy.

They continued their game without much notice of Hermione, so she soon left to look for Ginny.

* * *

Hermione did not enjoy the next few days at the Burrow. The Weasleys were strangely terse and tense when they were around her.

Hermione was not sorry when Mrs. Weasley reminded them to pack and go to bed early on August 31st, seeing as they would have to be at King's Cross Station by ten o'clock to catch the Hogwarts Express. She would be going back to Hogwarts. She could hardly wait!

A/N: Okay, this is going well. Please R/R, and give me ideas. I hope you like the way it's going, but suggest any improvements you think I could add. Coming up: friction between Golden Trio and a very big change.

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Alianne


	6. Sorting

**Everyone Has A Dark Side**

**By: Alianne**

In response to your review, Blaise Zabini is a Slytherin in Hermione's year. In book 1, he is mentioned on page 122 of the American version, and page 91 of the British version. It doesn't say if they are a he or she, but I chose she. (UPDATE: JK Rowling/HBP have now clarified the gender of Blaise. He is a boy. However, since I wrote this story long before that happened, in my story, Blaise is a girl. So I guess it's kind of AU).

**ALSO: This has been changed since it was first po****sted to make the plot work out. You will notice the train trip is different. In case you don't want to read thought again this is it: One of Ron's Dad's associates at work saw Hermione, Draco, Pansy and Blaise in Knockturn Alley, and tells the Weasleys, who tell everyone else in the whole school. Hermione denies this but accidentally says Draco instead of Malfoy, giving away the fact she has been talking with Draco.**

**Chapter 6: Sorting**

Ron, Ginny, Harry, and Hermione actually managed to arrive a few minutes before 10 o'clock at Kings Cross station, due in part to the absence of Fred and George. Molly and Arthur Weasley happily hugged Ron, Ginny, and Harry and tried to smile at Hermione.

Why did they have to treat her differently than they used to? Did a change in her name change who she was? Or could she be acting differently? She was not consciously doing anything differently. Well, if they wouldn't accept here as she was, she would change into someone else completely unrecognizable. Just let them wait and see she thought smugly.

Harry had found a compartment somewhere but Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, who were prefects, all had to go to the front of the train first to get instructions form the Head Boy and Girl. Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, who were sitting with the tow 5th year prefects, were conversing vigorously in hushed voices. They both fell silent and watched Hermione when she entered. She thought she saw Draco smile very slightly, but it could have just been the light. She sat down by Colin Creevey, who, like Ginny was a 5th year Gryffindor prefect. Ron and Ginny avoided Hermione and sat down further away.

"For those of you who are sixth years, you'll know your duties, for you fifth years, prefects are responsible for patrolling corridors and can give out punishments such as detentions to trouble makers and bullies. By no account however, may you abuse your position. Also, prefects help plan and decorate for such events such as Christmas and Halloween," the head boy, a tall Ravenclaw, said to the sixteen assembled prefects. He told then a lot more about their duties, then gave then their houses passwords. "The password for Gryffindor tower will be _fidelis leones _until the next prefect meeting. The password for the prefect bathroom will be _aquaticus_."

The head girl asked if there were any questions. When no one answered, they were dismissed.

Hermione was one of the last to leave the prefect compartment, so she had to look into each compartment she passed to find which one Harry and Ron were in. In the ninth one she checked, she found a bunch of Slytherins in her year, including Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Theodore Nott, Sarah Moon, Blaise Zabini, and Millicent Bulstrode. She made to shut the door, but Blaise called out, "Hermione, want to come in here?"

"Oh, no, I'm okay. I'm just looking for my compartment, I forget where it is." She said quickly.

Hermione closed the door, shocked. She thought that Malfoy had been too nice in Diagon Alley, that it was some sort of trick to lower her guard so they could make a fool of her. Why were they being so nice? She thought that the Slytherins seemed to know much more about her than she herself did. She continued checking compartments, buried in her thoughts.

When she finally found Harry and Ron, who were in the last compartment of the last carriage, she collapsed on the seat and grabbed a Chocolate Frog form the pile next to Ron. Neville Longbottom, an extremely forgetful fellow sixth year Gryffindor, and Luna Lovegood, Ginny's fifth year Ravenclaw friend, watched her coolly from the opposite seats. Harry had evidently told them about her.

Hermione stared out the window quietly for a while, avoiding conversation with the others, though they probably would refuse to talk to her even if she did. Finally, she could stand it no longer. "What is wrong? You are all avoiding me, treating me like I'm an infectious disease, and looking at me oddly. Why! Just because of my parents you suddenly seem to think I'm a Death Eater!" she burst out.

Ron sighed, "We've got to tell her I suppose." He said to the others. "Hermione, know how the name Malfoy makes you think 'on the Dark Side'? Lavinier is the same way. And then there's this. Hermione, one of dad's friends from work saw you in Knockturn Alley with Malfoy and some other Slytherins. You were chatting and getting on well, he said. No respectable Gryffindor would be seen within a mile of that place! And especially not with certain Slytherins." They all watched her expectantly to see her response.

"I told you, I walked in accidentally and then ran into Draco and told him to get lost! I wish you guys would quit suspecting me. I'm still Hermione." She said angrily.

Harry and Ron picked up on Hermione's mistake immediately. "Draco! Since when do you refer to Malfoy as Draco! That was a really lame lie. Hermione, it's so obvious you are on the Dark Side. Your owl is called DARK Lady, you reread _Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ last week! You call the guy who used to call you mudblood daily by his first name. Do you honestly expect us to trust you?" Ron yelled at her.

"I can't believe you guys! I'm not on the Dark Side, okay!" she shouted as she jumped up with her face burning. She left the compartment, slamming the door so hard that the glass in it shattered. She faintly heard Ron say, "I told you. Being a pureblood has gone to her head," as she stormed away.

She walked through the corridor as if patrolling it for misbehavers. She couldn't believe it! Her two best friends for five years had turned against her just because she was pureblood Lavinier and not mudblood Granger. So what if she had hung out with Draco? Well, they wouldn't be her friends ever again, she was sure of that. So much for Golden Trio.

She slowly walked down the corridor. Where would she go now? She didn't have any other friends. She supposed she could go to the Slytherin compartment if she had to, but she'd rather not. Their kindness would probably turn out to be a joke and they would all laugh at her. As if her mind had been read, a door opened and Draco came out. Hermione froze, unsure what to do. Draco saw her miserable expression. "What happened Hermione? Did the Gryffindors kick you out of the Golden Trio?" He spoke kindly, not patronizingly, however. " Do you want to come in here with us?" He asked. Hermione almost said yes, but she realized that since they were nearly at Hogsmeade, she had to put on her robes.

"Thank you Draco. I'd like to, but I need to change since we're nearly there." She said smiling at him.

"That's okay. Come back after if you'd like." Draco replied. Hermione hurried to retrieve her trunk from the prefect carriage.

Soon enough the train began to slow as it entered Hogsmeade station. Hermione headed to the front, where she had to supervise the younger kids. She directed some lost first years towards Hagrid who would take them across the lake and into the Great Hall, then got into one of the carriages that took them up to the school. She knew they were pulled by thestrals, although she was unable to see the winged, reptilian horses.

When the carriages drew up before the big oak door that led into the Entrance Hall, Hermione tiredly walked up the flight of stone stairs, through the Entrance Hall, and took a seat near the end of the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

Students trickled in, and Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown sat down next to her. Ron, Harry, and Ginny had thankfully found seats near the other end of the table. The girls chatted about their summers.

When almost everyone was there, the first years were lead through a side door by Professor McGonagall. She was carrying the Sorting Hat, an old, enchanted, black wizard's hat, which decided which of the four houses a student would be in. McGonagall set it on a stool and stepped back.

The Great Hall was quiet now. A slit on the side of the hat opened like a mouth and it sang a variation on its usual song about the original founders of the school, the qualities of students in each house, as well as telling them to work together. This was because there was the looming, ever present threat of Voldemort and the Dark Side in the 'world outside Hogwarts'.

Professor McGonagall called the names of the fist years, and they came forward one by one to try on the hat. "Addison, Mandy" became a Ravenclaw, and the fist new Gryffindor of the year was "Bolster, Thomas." It went on until "Lakes, Bridgett" was made a Hufflepuff.

Professor McGonagall paused and frowned before calling out the next name from the list. "Lavinier, Hermione." Hermione looked up sharply. There was another first year with her first name! She waited to see which of the eleven-year-olds would come forward, but none did. "Lavinier, Hermione," professor McGonagall repeated, frowning more deeply. Hermione suddenly realized with shock that it was her. She had forgotten she had a new last name. She wasn't sure if show should go forward. She was after all a sixth year. Only first years were sorted, right?

Ron, Harry, and Ginny were goggling at her from the other end of the table. Parvati and Lavender stared at her and whispered, "You're a Lavinier?" in disbelief. The Slytherins all looked over in interest.

Slowly, Hermione stood up and walked to the end of the table and then forward to the hat. She was terribly conscious of the loud whisperings of the other students. They were probably talking not just about the fact she was being sorted, but also about her name.

The teachers all looked very shocked, too. Professor Dumbledore, seated at the high table, did not understand how this could possibly be happening. For once, he had no idea what was going on. He had written that list of names of the new students, and Hermione Granger's name had not been on it, Lavinier or otherwise. For that matter, why was the name Hermione Lavinier? Everyone knew the significance of that name. The Laviniers had been some of the most dangerous Death Eaters, but had been killed. But they had had a daughter. Dumbledore put the puzzle pieces together, and thought hard, watching as the sixteen year old lifted up the hat and put it down on her head.

_"Well, well, well, we meet again, I see. However, you are someone else now. You are angry and upset, but you are also now aware of who you really are. Well, I see I was wrong. You'll do well in Slytherin now, won't you?"_

"Wait, why are you changing my house?" Hermione thought desperately.

_"Just think about it a little. SLYTHERIN!"_ the hat shouted the last word loudly so the whole hall heard.

Hermione pulled the hat off and stood shocked and trembling while her fellow students looked back at her the same way. Professor McGonagall, who was very pale, waved at her to move to the table so that the next student could be sorted. "Mattel, Bruce."

Hermione stumbled toward the Gryffindor table, but the Gryffindors all glared at her. Remembering, she walked towards the Slytherin table instead. Pansy Parkinson was sitting on the nearer side, and there was a space next to her that Hermione took.

Pansy watched her, looking slightly surprised, but not shocked. Blaise and Draco also watched her with little surprise, while Crabbe and Goyle looked stupid. Hermione again had the felling that they all knew more about her than she did herself. At least they are kind she thought, comparing the Slytherins to the now glaring and hissing Gryffindors.

The sorting finished and Dumbledore stood up and said, "Welcome and welcome back, all of you. Eat Up!" Dishes materialized on the table as well as jugs of pumpkin juice, but Hermione was not very hungry. Absentmindedly, she put some mash potatoes and steak on her plate ad looked around.

Some of the Slytherins watched her with confusion and interest, although all Malfoy's friends seemed to have expected this to happen. "So, it seems you are one of us now. Why are you so surprised?" Pansy asked.

Hermione answered, "Well, I only found out two weeks ago who I was, and since then, I've had civil conversations with you guys, my friends have broken up the Golden Trio, and, well, I'm in Slytherin. Everyone seems to know more about me that I do. Do you know if anyone has ever been resorted before?"

"Not that I know of," replied Pansy, "It is a very unusual occurrence, but then, most people know who they are from the time they come here. I suppose it must have been a big shock. I'm sorry Blaise and I weren't very nice in Knockturn Alley, but it seemed so impossible you could be who you said you were. I mean, we've grown up knowing your parent's names, because they had been our parent's friends. You'll be fine in Slytherin, though. Everyone will want to meet you," said Pansy kindly.

* * *

Draco watched as Hermione and Pansy talked together. He thought about what his father had said. 

After Hermione had left the Black Dragon, Draco had told his father everything Hermione had told him. When he finished, Lucius said slowly, "I doubt she realizes how much she told you. Firstly, she is angry with her muggle guardians and the Ministry for keeping this information from her. Second, for whatever reason, she is confused about who she in and which side she is on. That stuff she said to Blaise and Pansy is particularly interesting. She isn't sure if she should be an honorable Gryffindor like she is supposed to be and she isn't who she thought she was, either. This is very important. Just imagine if she could be convinced to join the Dark Side. She is smart, she would make and outstanding Death Eater. The Dark Lord will be very pleased with this."

Draco stared at his father, appalled. "Father! She's best friends with Weasley and Potter. You'd be hard put to find anyone less likely to go over to the Dark Side!"

"Once she is in Slytherin, she will become friends with some of you. Just wait, when you receive the Mark next summer, she may well be there, too." Lucius told him.

But I don't want to manipulate her!" said Draco.

"You won't have to. Just let things alone," answered his father.

Now Draco watched Hermione as she cautiously met her fellow Slytherins and thought that perhaps his father was correct.

* * *

Soon the feast was over and Hermione followed Blaise and Pansy out into the Entrance Hall and down towards the Dungeons. Harry Ron and Ginny looked at her disgust as they headed up to the Gryffindor tower. Pansy stopped in front of an empty stretch of wall and said, "_Infidelis_." She told Hermione that that was the password as part of the wall slid back to reveal the entrance to the Slytherin common room. 

Carved wooden chairs with soft cushions were grouped around the large fireplace and some small tables. Greenish lights illuminated the room with a soft glow. "Here's the girl's dormitory," Pansy said, leading Hermione up a staircase and into a room much like the Gryffindor dormitories, except that it was more finely furnished and had the Slytherin green and sliver color scheme. There were five velvet draped four poster beds.

"I thought there were five Slytherin girls in our year already," Hermione said.

"Oh, Jenny's parents moved to Germany last year, I think she's going to Durmstrang now. Look, there's your stuff." She pointed to Hermione's trunk and owl cage, which were in front of one of the beds. "I wonder how they know to put those here and not in the Gryffindor dormitories?"

Just then the other two sixth year Slytherin girls, Millicent Bulstrode and Sarah Moon, came it. Millicent was rather sullen, but Sarah was friendly like Pansy and Blaise. The others started arranging books, pictures, and posters around each of their beds. Hermione put a dozen of her favorite books on a bookcase near her bed and then put on her pajamas. A half-hour later they all went to bed. Although she was quite confused, Hermione felt happy with the direction her life was going in.

A/N: Thanks for reading, all. Read and Review. If you're wondering about Sarah Moon, check Thanx!

**Alianne**


	7. Thoughts

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Everyone Has A Dark Side

A/N: Yes, I'm back. I'm so sorry I stopped working on this, I just was so busy. Well, I'm working on it again, so I'll update regularly. Note: I made drew out the plot and I had to make some important changes, so if you go back to chapter 6, there is a big change there. Well not huge, but it helps you understand how the Gryffindors are acting. By the way, can anyone tell me where the term Golden Trio for Harry, Ron, and Hermione came from? Otherwise, here's chapter 7

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Chapter 7: Thoughts

__

Hermione was in a dark wood. People were screaming and yelling around her. A little muggle girl burst out of a near by bush and ran. She tripped and fell face up a few feet from Hermione. There was a look of absolute terror on the girl's face as she looked up at Hermione. She heard a rough voice shout, "Avada Kedavra" and the girl jerked and fell back lifeless as a rag doll.

Hermione jerked awake, covered in sweat. Her dream had been full of sound, people screaming and yelling. And that terrified girl.

All the little globe-like lamps in the dormitory had been extinguished, and it was very dark. She thought it was 2 or 3 am. Hermione turned over, wondering what significance her dream could have.

* * *

Draco Malfoy also had trouble sleeping, but not because of dreams. He was thinking about Hermione and his father's plan for her. He could see her in a different way now that she was a Slytherin and a pure blood. Perhaps he just hadn't previously been able to think of her as anything other than a Gryffindor, a know it all, and a mudblood. _Pureblood,_ he subconsciously corrected himself. She was already getting along with Pansy, Blaise, and Sarah, he noticed. Strange that she could fit in so well.

* * *

Professor Albus Dumbledore was yet another resident of Hogwarts who was awake. He was meeting secretly with a few other teachers in his office: Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, and Hagrid.

They all were greatly surprised by the evening's events. None of them had any idea how Hermione's name could have gotten on that list. Dumbledore himself had written it, and he was certain he'd not put Hermione's name on it. Also, just as odd as her being sorted into Slytherin, was the fact that the name on the list had been Hermione Lavinier, not Granger. Hermione, however, had responded to it.

"We all know the significance of that name." Professor McGonagall, a tall and pinched looking witch who rarely smiled and kept her gray hair in a tight bun, said darkly. "How could she possible be part of that family?"

"Charles and Jennifer went off and married and joined the Dark Side after they left Hogwarts. The whole family, including their six-month-old baby, was believed to have been killed by Aurors. If Hermione is a Lavinier, which I sincerely hope she is not, then the only possible explanation is that the baby was some how given to a muggle family." Said Dumbledore slowly. "I will have to contact Fudge. If anyone knows about this it will be the Ministry of Magic."

"I'm worried about her being in Slytherin. I watched her and she fitted right in with them all. We can only hope she doesn't decide to make friends with the wrong people. I don't like the look of things," said McGonagall darkly.

"Hermione's a smart girl, she'll be fine," Hagrid said confidently. Snape glared at him "You'd be surprised. The powerful lure of the Dark Side has attracted many clever your students in the past," he said rubbing is left forearm subconsciously on the place where the Dark Mark was branded on his skin.

"We must let fated take it's course," Dumbledore said sadly, stroking his long with beard. "It's late you should all get some sleep now." He sent the other teachers to bed and retired, too.

* * *

"Hermione, wake up. It's time for breakfast. You wouldn't want to be late for class on the first day," said Pansy, shaking Hermione's shoulder.

Quickly, she got up, showered, and changed into her uniform. She then ran a comb though her thick, wavy brown hair in an attempt to keep it under control. Giving up, she ran to catch up with the other girls as they went down into the common room.

Many of the Slytherins watched Hermione curiously, evidently remembering the strange sorting last night. A couple came up to her asking questions.

"Are you really a Lavinier?"

"Why did the sorting hat change your house?"

"Is it true you were a _Gryffindor_?"

Hermione was a bit taken aback. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to the others, but it was overwhelming to have people come up to you and begin bombarding her with questions. Luckily, Pansy and Blaise got the questioners to leave her, proclaiming that Hermione had just got up and was starving. "You can ask her at break, but let Hermione alone for now."   
Draco Malfoy approached. " Hi Pansy. Hi Blaise. Uh-Hi Hermione," he said.

"Hi Draco," Hermione replied. It was amazing how they were talking like good friends when a few weeks ago Draco would have been calling her a mudblood. "Well, what do you think of Slytherin?" He asked as they followed some chatty fourth year Hufflepuffs into the dungeon passageway.

Oh, it's nice. Most people are really friendly, but I've just been in the house a day so I can't say yet." She was trying to memorize the path up to the entrance hall, not being especially familiar with the extensive dungeons.

They crossed through the entrance hall and into the Great Hall, which was quickly filling with students. Instinctively, she began to cross towards the Gryffindor House table, then remembered she had switched houses and sat down by Pansy at the Slytherin table. Many students watched her curiously, probably interested to know about her being resorted. Others were not so friendly. Ron and Harry, for example, glared daggers at her.

"Talk about getting up on the wrong side of the bed, " said Draco, smirking. He cocked his head towards the Gryffindors. "They don't look very pleased to see you."

She looked towards them in defiance. "Well, I don't care! Who needs them? On the train they actually accused me of being on the Dark Side just because of my name and because I was seen in Knockturn Alley with you. I suppose they hate me now. Honestly, how could I have ever been friends with such people!" She tried to sound calm, but inside she was so angry that the two boys could throw away her friendship just because of a change in her name.

"They probable only wanted you as a friend so you would help them do home work. Slytherins are always true and loyal friends," drawled Draco looking in disdain at the Gryffindors. Pansy and Blaise nodded in agreement.

The Heads of houses began to walk down the tables passing out schedules. Snape looked totally non-plused at Hermione, although he was concerned to see her sitting happily among the Slytherins.

Hermione looked at her schedule. "Double History of Magic, both Care of Magical Creatures and double Potions with the Gryffindors, and then Defense Against the Dark Arts. What fun!"

"I thought you liked school," said Pansy.

" Yes I do, but it can be terrible. For example, who knows what kind of horrible Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Dumbledore has hired."

She listened to Pansy, Sarah, and Blaise discuss which of the singers in the band, _The Weird Sisters_ was the hottest (A/N: this band is a guy band) and some nearby boys discuss the Quidditch World Cup while she munched jam and toast.

A/N: Okay, I know that was a shorter chapter, but this way I can publish chapter 8 sooner. Coming up, a fight in Care of Magical Creatures, and important conversations with Neville, Ginny, and Pansy. Also, does anyone know which Harry Potter book Hermione slaps/ punches Draco in? In the 3rd movie she does, but that doesn't' seem to happen at that point in the book.

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News! I've been in Australia for a month and I only go the news yesterday, but If you haven't heard: **The title of the sixth Harry Potter book is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince**, and the HBP isn't Harry or Voldy.

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Alianne


	8. It's True?

Everyone Has a Dark Side

A/N: Okay, my longest chapter yet. Thank you all of you for your reviews, I'm glad you had faith I'd continue this story. I already have the next chapter or two written, so I just have to type them up. Here's chapter 8.

Chapter 8: It's True?

After breakfast, the 6-year Slytherins traipsed up a few staircases to the History of Magic classroom. Some of Hermione's peers were more attentive than the Gryffindors normally were during Professor Binns lecture on troll oppression in the 9th century. However, others, namely Crabbe and Goyle, vegetated. When Binns gathered his notes in a folder and floated through a wall, the class quickly formed a scrum at the door, eager to get outside into the summer air for Care of Magical Creatures Class. Hermione put her thick stack of notes into her bag and realized she would probably have to lend notes to her new friends during exam time.

They arrived at Hagrid' cabin on the lawn to find the Gryffindors already assembled in front of a pen of Krups, creatures very similar to Jack Russell terriers, except for their forked tail. Hagrid smiled kindly at Hermione while he explained the day's lesson. His then divided them into pairs to work.

Evidently unaware of the recent developments, Hagrid paired Hermione with Ron. Ron led an excited Krup out of the pen to an empty patch of grass. He scowled at Hermione as she walked up and said, "Shut up and just let me take care of this. Got it?"

Hermione pointedly ignored him and instead snatched the Krup's leash and began measuring its as Hagrid had instructed. Ron fumed, "Drop that! NOW! Stop it Lavinier, I'm warning you!."

Hermione remembered that Ron got angry easily, especially when dealing with the Slytherins. She looked down at her green and sliver skirt and tie. Ron was shaking in anger. Suddenly her yelled, _"Impedimenta!"_ and his wand let out a bang. Hermione was thrown backward by the spell and landed hare on the ground. She shrieked, so did Pansy, Pavarti, and Lavender.

All at once, Draco was by her with his wand aimed at Ron. "_Petrificus Totalus_". His spell immobilized Ron, who fell down like a telephone pole.

Hermione gasped. Harry yelled an indistinct phrase, pointing his wand at them both. Draco simply deflected the spell with "_Protego_" . The jet f red light hit Crabbe who collapsed with little change in his expression.

Hagrid yelled "Stop!" very loudly. The Gryffindors and Slytherins, many with raised wands, froze. Hagrid was really angry.

Draco helped Hermione to her feet and turned towards Harry, looking mildly amazed. "What way is that to treat you best friend, Potter, Weasley? You are disgusting." Draco put his arm around Hermione's shoulders, since she was shaking.

"Thanks for saving me, " Hermione whispered.

"No problem," said Draco quietly, smiling.

Hagrid stared in disbelief at the miscreants, Ron and Harry, then looked at Hermione and Draco who were surrounded by a comforting group of Slytherins. All Hagrid could do was to mutter "Bloody hell."

In the end, no lesson really took place. Ron, Harry, Draco, and Hermione all ended up being delivered up to the headmaster's office by Hagrid while the rest of the class gossiped and wandered aimlessly around.

When they reached the stone gargoyles, those were the entrance to Professor Dumbledore office, they fond Dumbledore ushering the most unlightly person out of the office: Professor Trelawnly, who was very rarely seen out of her tower room, let alone on the other side of the castle. She looked at the teenagers with plenty of curiosity, but hurried away. Dumbledore took in the situation immediately: there had been yet another argument between these four students.

"Sir, what happened was Ron here attacked Hermione. Malfoy froze him and Harry tried to stun them both, but Malfoy deflected the spell." Said Hagrid uncertainly. "I think Hermione's okay, though."

"Well, I don't see any problem with Mr. Malfoy's actions in protecting Miss. Lavinier. However, it is not all right for Gryffindors to attack fellow students. Especially you friends." Said Dumbledore slowly. He was amazed that Ron and Harry had turned on Hermione-they had always been such good friends-but tried to act as though this was a common occurrence. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, you will both do detentions and talk with your head of house. Miss. Lavinier, I'm most sorry you were attacked and hope you will not have to experience such coarse behavior again. Mr. Malfoy, thank you for protecting Miss. Lavinier, that was most honorable behavior."

Dumbledore looked intently over the top of his half moon glasses at them. Hagrid led them out and sent Harry and Ron to Professor McGonagall's office. He told the remaining two to go on to Potions class.

Draco and Hermione looked at each other as they walked down the stairs to the Great Hall. "Goodness! That was an eventful morning." She said tiredly.

"True, true." Agreed Draco.

Hermione smiled at him "That sounds so odd! "True, true." She mimicked him and laughed.

He grinned crookedly. "It's just a random phrase, I suppose. We'd better hurry, though," Draco said looking at his watch. "We have to be in potions class in about a minute."

They arrived at the door to the dungeon classroom just as Professor Snape shut it. "Just on time Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Lavinier. Please go and sit down." He attempted to close the door again only to find Neville Longbottom arriving. "You are late, Longbottom! How many times must I tell you to BE ON TIME!"

Neville, who was terrible afraid of Snape, trembled and stuttered, "B-but Professor Snape, s-sir, I was-was just be-behind Hermione and M-Malfoy."

"Don't argue with me, Longbottom. They were on time and you are late! Fifteen points from Gryffindor. Now go and sit down." Snarled Snape. Neville slunk to a dark table as far from Snape's desk as possible.

Snape explained the Potion they would make and the students copied down notes for 45 minutes. Then he put hems into pairs. "Brown, Goyle, over there; Thomas, Moon, that table. Lavinier, Longbottom, by the door; Malfoy, Patil, this way." Snape ordered them to various tables.

Hermione sat down at her table and got out her ingredients. "Neville, could you put a couple beetle legs and a cup of Dingup jelly in the cauldron. Stir it until the mixture turns gray and oily. I'll mix the Polypledarus juice with some powdered snakes skin, okay?" Hermione looked up to find Neville staring at her uneasily. "Neville, what's wrong?"

"You're a Lavinier. They were Death Eaters." Mumbled Neville. He had had some rather unpleasant experiences with Death Eaters the previous June in the Department of Mysteries. Also, his parents were both in St. Mungo's Hospitals for Magical Maladies and Injures due to Death Eaters use of the Cruciatus curse on them. His fear of Death Eaters was understandable.

However, Hermione was not a Death Eater. She recalled many evenings when she had helped Neville in Transfiguration and many potions classes when she had muttered instructions to Neville so he could fix his potion mistakes. Hermione was not very happy to learn about Neville's sudden change of face. What had she done to him? Nothing!

Angrily, Hermione responded. "So what? Neville, you have known me for six years. Have I ever done anything mean?"

"Well, no, you haven't, but Ron said his Dad's friend saw you with Malfoy in Knockturn Alley." Neville said in a rush.

Hermione glared at him furiously. "Shut up!" she hissed.

"Just forget about it, doesn't matter." said Neville quickly, cowering. He began trying to start on the potion and wouldn't look at Hermione.

'Oh my God! Gryffindors are such turncoats." Hermione thought, as she began piling Polypledarus juice into the cauldron.

* * *

The rest of Hermione's day was quieter. After her classes, she went to work in the library. She was nearly done with the History of Magic essay when Ginny Weasley suddenly sat down at the end of the table.

"Uh, hi Hermione, I wanted to talk," she said quickly. "Ron told us what your letter said. At first, we all couldn't believe it. Dad told us about the Laviniers and then he talked to the Ministry and asked about you. They finally told us that it was true. But you were still Hermione Granger to me, I don't know why my brothers were so mean in Diagon Alley. But a few days later, a friend from Dad's office who knew about you, Harry, and Ron being great friends and stuff commented to Dad that he'd seen Ron's friends Hermione in Knockturn Alley. He said that you had been walking with Malfoy and talking to some Slytherin girls. We were shocked, which I suppose is why everyone was rude when you came to stay. Is it true though? Did you really hang out with Malfoy?" poured out Ginny.

Hermione wasn't quite sure how to answer, but she couldn't lie. Ginny had been her good friend for years. She sighed. "Ginny, I really can't lie to you. Here's what happened: When I went to get my stuff in Diagon alley, I ran into Draco in Gringotts. He stared insulting me, as usual, and I was really angry, so I told him to shut up and I told him who I was. He was actually nice and he took me to see his parents so they could meet me and I could ask them about my family. We ran into Pansy and Blaise on the way. You dad's friend must have seen me then. I just said hi and talked a little, then I left, that's all." Hermione finished.

Ginny looked horrified. " You mean it's true? I've been hoping that it was all just a mistake, that dad's friend was wrong, that you could still be my friend Hermione Granger. But you really are a Lavinier, you really were with that git Malfoy in Knockturn Alley. You're a regular Slytherin now. I don't think I or any of the other Gryffindors can associate with you anymore." She said harshly.

Hermione watched in mixed horror and revulsion as Ginny got up and flounced out of the library.

A/N: Okay, coming up, interesting conversations with people and Hermione and Pansy decide to attend a meeting where they defiantly won't be welcomed. Please click on the SUBMIT REVIEW button now. You know you want to.

I don't know what I'm going to do for the DADA teacher, whether they will be a Ministry person, or one of the Hogwarts staff. I don't want them to be a big part of the story, but I can't just leave the subject out. I'm also not sure if I want them good, mean, idiotic. Please tell me when you review what you think would be best.

Also: This is quite funny, but if you think about it, the students all buy their robes and stuff before they start school and are sorted. However, each house had slightly different uniforms, since the tie and sweaters are different colors. How can they buy the right colors before they are sorted? Perhaps the magically change color when the kids are sorted.


	9. Slytherins vs DA

Everyone Has A Dark Heart

A/N: WOW, this chapter is huge! I would have split it up, but the effect is much better this way. This is so fun by the way. If you haven't tried writing, you really should. Also, Hermione's birthday is September 19th, according to JK Rowling on her website. Therefore, she is going to be 17 soon in my story. I know this is skewed, because she's only supposed to be of age in 7th year, but I've already got her as 16 now. If you think I should actually change it to she turns 16 now, just tell me.

I may have Fleur as DADA teacher, I liked the idea. I'll answer all your review questions at the bottom, I'm sorry if I haven't done it sooner. Enjoy this chapter, I did.

(Anna, I want you to review this too. You can make unsigned reveiws. Just click SUBMIT REVIEW.)

Chapter 9: Slytherins vs. DA

At dinner, Hermione saw Ginny whispering to Ron and Harry. They looked toward her and then talked some more. Hermione scowled as she ate fruit salad.

"What's up?" Pansy asked.

Hermione told her about her conversation with Ginny. "So she comes over looking friendly, but she really just wants to hear a first hand account of what happened and to find out if what her dad's friend said was true. I didn't lie to her, because she used to be a really good friend. I can't just turn on my friends like Prince Potter and Weasel. When I told her what happened, she looked all horrified and said that she had hoped there had been some mistake. She said that she could not 'associate' with me anymore. Not that I care, of course!"

Pansy replied, "She is so mean! Since when is it your fault who your parents are? I mean, it's nice you are here in Slytherin and stuff, but you said you knew her five years? I would never, ever just turn on a friend like that!"

Hermione nodded, "I know, I just can't believe how all the Gryffindors are acting. Harry ran into Draco in Knockturn Alley four years ago, but no one treated him like dirt," she said in disgust.

Pansy said wisely, "Well, its not just the fact that you were in Knockturn Alley that's bothering people, it's a combination of things. First, the Laviniers were well known for being on the Dark Side, so your friends would have been suspicious. Then you turn up with Draco, whose family is often associated with the Dark Side as well. To add to that, you are now in Slytherin and spend all day with us."

"Your friends have obviously decided they know where your loyalties lied. They are horrible though. Perhaps you should just try to forget them. Try to get to know more Slytherins. There's a Hogsmeade weekend in a couple weeks. Blaise, Sarah, and I are planning to go look at dresses for the sixth and seventh year formal on Halloween. Do you want to come with us?" Pansy asked kindly.

"What?" yelped Hermione. "I mean, I'd like to come, but what formal are you talking about? I know we had that Yule Ball thing in fourth year," she blushed remembering that she had gone with Victor Krum, an internationally known Quidditch Player, "But I thought that was just a one time thing."

"Oh, it was on the common room notice board. Don't worry, you've got a month to get ready." Pansy laughed. "And don't' worry about a date, there's always Vincent and Gregory (AN: Crabbe and Goyle's first names as in PS and OotP). Just kidding, just kidding," she said quickly seeing Hermione's expression. "There are so many cute guys in Slytherin. It'll be okay."

* * *

Classes the next few days were quiet. However, on Friday, Pavarti and Lavender plopped down by Blaise and Hermione in Care of Magical Creatures Class. Hermione looked up warily. "Hello?"

"Uh, hi there, Hermione." Lavender said hesitantly. "We kinda wanted to ask you why Harry, Ron, and Ginny are so mad at you. They are going around to every one and telling them that you are mean, and spreading a rumor that-" she paused, looked around, and then hissed, "-That you're on the Dark Side." She said 'Dark Side' like it was a really bad word.

Blaise giggled and attempted to disguise it as a cough. Most of the school knew that the parents of almost all of the sixth year Slytherins were on the Dark side, so Blaise found Lavender's revulsion amusing. "Actually, that's not a bad rumor. When I was in second year, someone spread a false rumor that I was going out with a Gryffindor."

"We weren't really talking to you," said Pavarti rudely to Blaise.

"Hey, watch it Pavarti, this is my friend Blaise Zabini that you're talking to," interjected Hermione hurriedly. "You know we're supposed to be feeding the Krups right now."

" You're already friends with the _Slytherins_?!" Pavarti said, shocked.

Lavender glared at Pavarti and persisted, "Aren't you going to tell us why Harry, Ron, and Ginny have freaked out?"

'Fine, if it will shut you up' thought Hermione. "Well, as you know, this summer I found out my parents are Jennifer and Charles Lavinier. They were Death Eaters. Also, when I was shopping, one of Ron's father's friends saw me in Knockturn Alley with certain Slytherins. Ron and Harry seem to feel that those two facts, along with me being sorted into Slytherin, make me despicable. Happy now?" she snapped.

At that moment, Pansy, Sarah, Draco, and Theodore Nott came over, too.

"What are you to doing here?" Demanded Draco of the Gryffindor girls.

"Annoying me," said Hermione. "Will you two leave?" she said two Pavarti and Lavender.

Pavarti said audibly to Lavender, "They were right! She is a Slytherin."

Angrily, Blaise said, "Get lost, will you!"

Draco hissed, "and you and the rest of that Gryffindor lot stop bothering Hermione."

The two Gryffindor girls looked at the six Slytherins incredulously and walked off.

"What is with them?" asked Hermione.

"Frankly, I think they're jealous," said Blaise, "You see, they throw you out and hope you'll be miserable with only us for company, and then they fined you've got all these great new friends. They're probably mad that their tactic didn't work. They're also lightly going to be angry next year when both the Head Girl and the Head Boy are from Slytherin."

When Hermione thought about this, she realized Blaise was right. She kind of knew she would be Head Girl, what with her grades, but she hadn't given much thought to who would be Head Boy. Prince Potter might hope it would be him, being Dumbledore's favorite boy, but now that Hermione considered it, Draco was right behind her in grades. His parents also had plenty of influence at Hogwarts. There was no doubt he would be Head Boy next year. "Goodness, I hadn't realized that. They are probably going to be despicable next year."

* * *

As Hermione walked up a flight of stairs to Transfiguration, she suddenly felt her pocket get really hot. She extracted a galleon from it. She realized this was one of the fake galleons she had made for the DA meetings last year. The Gryffindors must have decided to continue meetings, even though Umbrige was gone.

To tell the truth, this made plenty of sense; with Voldemort in the open, the better you could defend yourself, the better chance you had of staying alive.

Peering closely at the coin, she read the numbers 7301209. The meeting would be held at 7:30 on the twelfth of September, which was next Wednesday. Remembering how she enjoyed seeing her otter Patronus, Heroine decided she would attend the meeting, whether or not the Gryffindors wanted her there. She had just as much right to learn how to defend her self well as Ron or Ginny did.

* * *

The next couple of days passed in a blur of work, studying, and (already!) tests. Soon, it was Wednesday evening, and Hermione picked up her wand and went down into the common room and over to the door.

"Where are you going?" inquired Pansy curiously.

"Don't tell anyone else, but, well, you know that defense club some of the students did last year? You guys and Umbrige kinda stopped it." Hermione said quietly. "Well, they are still having meetings and I decided to go because the stuff we learnt was so helpful with exams." She looked at Pansy to see her reaction.

"Can I come along?" she asked, surprising Hermione. "I'm good in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but practice is always good."

"I suppose you can, but I'm not sure how the Gryffindors will react to the two of us. They might try to kick us out." Said Hermione.

They left the common room and went up the now familiar path to the Entrance Hall, then wound up to the seventh floor where the Room of Requirement was located.

Hermione sighed, "Here we go." She opened the door quietly. Most of the members, and some new people, were gathered chatting in the center of the room. Some seemed to be signing up on some sort of list. However, every single person in the room had one thing in cowman: they were from a house other than Slytherin.

A few people looked to see who was entering and fell silent. Gradually, the room quieted as everyone realized that something was wrong. They parted so the Gryffindors, who were furthest from the door, could see the new arrivals. The two girls slipped though the doors and took seats among some startled Hufflepuffs. Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot stared nervously at them.

Suddenly angry Gryffindors surrounded them.

"What do you think you are doing!"

"No Slytherins are allowed!"

"Who told you about the meeting?"

"GET OUT!"

Hermione shot pansy and apologetic look and they both stood up but stayed silent. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Dean, the Creevy brothers, even Cho Chang confronted them. "What are you doing here?" asked Harry simply.

"Hermione did not want the DA to stop using the coins, so she lied, "I heard Anthony Goldstien telling Terry Boot about the meeting on Saturday." The two mentioned Ravenclaws looked sheepish.

"Well, you are going to have to leave. Seeing as the purpose of this group is to protect ourselves from Voldemort, we can't really let two Death Eaters come and spy on us, can we?" Said Harry menacingly. Some of the DA members gasped at his accusation.

"Pansy and I aren't Death Eaters, and neither are our friends.

"Not even dear Malfoy?" said Ron patronizingly. "'Thanks for saving me, Draco'," he mimicked Hermione's whisper to Draco from Care of Magical Creatures class.

"Draco isn't a Death Eater!" the two Slytherin girls chorused. Hermione was blushing slightly.

"Oh, since when is that git Malfoy 'Draco' to you, Lavinier?" Said Harry harshly.

Hermione blushed deeper. "Since he quit being a git and stopped you two attacking me. Attacking your best friend. I'm the girl you came to for advice when you dated Cho, Harry. I'm the girl who advised you when you tried to ask Fleur to the Yule Ball, Ron. But now I'm the girl whose parents were Death Eaters! Fine. You can insult me as much as you like, but I'm not leaving. You have only got an hour or two for the DA meeting, and I suggest you use it."

People started giving suggestions again:

"Let's get the meeting started!"

"They can't stay, they are Death Eaters!"

"Just ignore them!"

"Make them get out!"

"Lets practice hexes on them!"

Harry had made his own decision, however. "You can't stay. You're a Lavinier and you are both Slytherins." Her said to Hermione. "Get out now, or we'll force you to."

"Harry, in case you have forgotten, I started the DA, I held the first meeting in Hogsmeade, I even made it possible to identify that sneak Marietta Edgecome. This might as well me my organization." Retorted Hermione.

"Wasn't it you who wrote all our names down on that list and left it here for that member of Umbrige's little gang to find?" Harry shot back, pointing straight at Pansy with his wand. "What are you doing hanging out with the people who almost got us all expelled?"

Pansy had her own reply ready, "For your information, Hermione's sticking with us because she's figured out that we are better friends than any Gryffindor could ever hope to be! I would never turn on my friends just because I saw them talking with a Gryffindor" she said venomously.

"Why did you and the rest of the Slytherins try to get us expelled?' Demanded Ron furiously while Harry swelled with surpressed anger due to Pansy's comment.

"Because Slytherins have learned that if you want to stay honorable and out of trouble, you should go with whoever is beeps thought of at the moment. If you guys had acted like you totally backed Umbrige, you could still have done what you wanted because she wouldn't have felt it necessary to make all kinds of rules to control you. Then once she had been gotten rid off at the end of the year, you could go back to openly hating her. It's called adaptation. If you can adapt to the situation, you can get what you want and stay out of trouble." Pansy explained. "We never like Umbrige a whole lot, but since we acted like we backed her, Umbrige left us to do what we wanted and used up her energy punishing you."

Although Harry could see the wisdom in Pansy's words, he was unable to acknowledge that a Slytherin could be right. He had hated the Slytherins for just too long. "That's stupid. If you do that, no one can ever trust you because they won't know whether or not you are showing your true feelings." He said aloud.

"Great, but can you get on with the meeting?" said Hermione in exasperation. To Pansy though she whispered, "Good thinking, that was a great speech!"

"Hang on, we didn't say you could stay! How do we know you aren't just adapting by sounding so sincere? You just want to spy on us!" said Ron immediately.

Hermione tried to stay calm. "Ron, there are a lot of Death Eaters out here, and Pansy and I want to stay alive, like the rest of you. We just want to be able to defend ourselves."

Ron and Harry talked quietly so the two girls couldn't hear. Meanwhile, Pansy said, "If they do decide to fight us, just be careful, because-" She dropped her voice. "-Harry can do the Cruciatus Curse."

"What? That's illegal!"

"I know it is, but apparently he did it on a Death Eater during you excursion last summer. The told someone, who told their kids, who told Draco, who told me," whispered Pansy.

"Wow! Why didn't he get sent to Azkaban?" Asked Hermione quietly.

"Dumbledore probably got poor Prince Potter out of trouble. If things get messy though, I know a couple handy spells that they won't know. _Flamacto_," Pansy showed the appropriate wand movement, "shoots a jet of flame at the person, so they catch on fire. That normally distracts them for a while. _Pulstior_, you flick your wand like this, and it's like a giant arm, so you can knock stuff out of the way. Do you know the body bind hex, _Locomotor mortis_? Good, so it's just those and them shields, disarming, stunning, impediment charms, the basic stuff." Hermione was amazed Pansy knew all this, but then she was sure to have fought with people in her House before.

Harry and Ron came back over, they had evidently decided on a course of action. "You two have to leave. You will have until the count of twenty to get out of the room, or we will start using our wands." Said harry. Some of the DA members smiled and pulled out their wands.

Ron muttered, "Get lost!" angrily, glaring at the two girls.

"Do we leave of fight?" whispered Pansy.

"How about we get a couple of them, then go out quick." Hermione grinned evilly. "We can't let them think they kicked us out without a fight!" Pansy signaled thumbs up.

Harry had started counting, "…18, 17, 16…" The two girls edged back until they were ear the door, then Hermione hissed, "Now!"

"_Stupefy_!"

"_Rictusempra_!"

"_Incarcerous_!"

"_Furnunculus_!"

"_Impedimenta_!"

"_Petrificus_ _Totalus_!"

"_Flamacto_!"

The girls aimed carefully and were rewarded by six screams from the group, before anyone had time to react.

"_Stupefy_!"

"_Expeliarmus_!"

The DA members aimed at the girls, shooting jets of light at them.

"_Protego_!" yelled both Slytherins, deflecting the oncoming hexes, which rebounded on the casters. They shot more spells at the DA group.

Suddenly, there were way too many curses shooting at them, and the two girls slipped out of the Room of Requirement. They dashed down the hall as spells bounced of their shields. Hermione and Pansy took refuge in a nearby bathroom.

Hermione was panting hard. "Gosh! That was something."

"Didn't you just love that? What an awesome revenge!" Shrieked Pansy.

"You're right, that was fun. We hit at least 8 of them, I think."

Pansy laughed, "The buffoons probably took down a few of their own with their bad aim. Plus, the spells we deflected went back into the crowd."

They had to stay hidden in the bathroom for a while, since DA members kept patrolling the hall, trying to find them. Soon they heard Harry and Ron directing pairs of people to search throughout the castle to find them. "Wow, they must be furious! I'd better stay out of their way tomorrow," Hermione whispered.

"Uh, we have Potions and Care of Magical Creatures tomorrow," Pansy reminded her.

"Damn! I hope the Gryffindors won't bother us too much. Do you think any of the Slytherins will be mad at us for annoying the DA?" asked Hermione worriedly.

Pansy smirked, "I wouldn't worry about that. They will be congratulating us all week. It will just give us excuses to fight the Gryffindor. 'But Professor Vector, Potter hexed me first.'" She mimicked.

They snuck off down to the dormitories as soon as they could, still silently laughing. The Slytherins already knew what had happened, due to agitated DA members asking them where 'Parkinson and Lavinier were.' "Great job guys," said a seventh year heartily, "I heard Weasley got a face full of boils and Longbottom had to go to the hospital wing!"

"Not so perfectly behaved after all, are we?" Draco asked Hermione. "Great job, I heard half of that organization are still unconscious."

"Thanks Draco. We actually just wanted to see what they were up to; but when they decide to make us leave, we made up our minds not to go without a fight. Pansy is really good, by the way!"

"So how did you find out about their meeting?" Blaise inquired. She had just come over. Hermione took out her fake galleon and explained how it worked. "Pretty nifty." Blaise admitted, "Hold onto that, if they keep using those, we might all be able to turn up for the meeting."

A/N: Coming up, Pansy reveals something of interest to Hermione and the girls go shopping. Please Review, I appreciate all your feedback!

-Alianne-

REVIEW RESPONSES:

Rock and Sarcasm: I'd love you to post my story, please do so! You rock! What's the URL of your site?

Dodgerismine: Hmm, Fleur, that's an idea, lets hope she has 'emproved 'er english

Silly bandit: the deal with her family is that now that the second war has started, people are paranoid about death eaters, so anyone with a name that is thought of as infamous will be mistrusted, no matter who they are. The robes must be some spell set on the hat maybe. A hilarious teacher will work well. Lets go play with the Cornish pixies!

Avery88: smile away! Does your name come from the death eater Avery? Also, I know harry and ron were not nice, but they are really put out at Mia. I need them to act like that for the plot to work out too.

Portia-brit: the Slytherins seem so nice because they are from the same house as Hermione. The Slytherins are nice to Blaise and pansy because they are Slytherins, and since Hermione is a Slytherin, its the same thing. I understand what a big difference it is though, we are so used to the Slytherins being gits. Some spell to change the uniforms might work well. As for DADA teachers, the OoP people are busy fighting, but Fleur would work. Hmm.

Midnight lily: true, but just like people will think a person called jewel Malfoy is rude like Draco, people judge Hermione by her name, not her personality, unfortunately.

HD: I didn't think of that before, but they are god siblings. I hope that won't affect them liking each other : ( well, I'll work it out

Mark Anthony: YES! A like-minded thinker. I intend to do just that. One of my friends suggested she go on a killing spree, that might be a bit much, but she defiantly will join the dark side. (bad me, I'm a spoiler, sorry)

Black rose 23: I'm not sure I get what you mean by what's coming to them. Coming to whom? If you mean the Gryffindors get punished for being so mean, I can assure you they will (like what happened today in the DA meeting.) Other entry: You and I really think alike, I'm really wanting the Slytherins to be good guys and the griffys bad guys, so I'm glad you like the way its going.

Tara yo: Well thanx for keeping me on, that's all that matters. Also, yip, the griffins are going to pay later. He, he, he.

La la: yes, I'm really showing my morbid side. Hermione's going to get evil, and yes, DE is the way. Avada Kedavra.

Darkprincesspyro99: I have the magnet thing going on with D and H. : )

Scholcomp25; thankyou, I see you've stuck with my story for a long time!

Cris: Great! Keep reading.

SaturnNeko: while I do advocate reading the books, that's okay, at least you know what's what.

PotterHolicNumeroUno YES! You are another of those people who think evilly like me! I'm thrilled you like it, keep reading!

CharmedAngel: okay then

Samantha: I'm so sorry! I hope you come back, I want you to be able to find out the end

Natyslacks: come back please!

AslyFan: please return!

Every one out there, thank you for your comments, I really appreciate them. Keep it up.

Luv ya all

Alianne


	10. Shopping

Everyone Has A Dark Side

A/N: Hi there! I have blink 182 stuck in my head…anyway. Thanks bunches for you reviews, I feel so loved! Sorry I take a while updating, unfortunately, my parents have decided I am spending too much time on Harry Potter, and want me to start entering for scholarships, even if I'm only 14. ::growl:: Okay, I had to make a few changes: the girls are shopping for the Christmas Ball, not the Halloween Ball, and Hermione is going to turn 16 this chapter, so she was 15 before. Well, I enjoyed writing this chappy, so I hope you like it.****

ALSO: if you look on mugglenet, there is an interview with Tom Felton, who says he thinks Hermione should go evil and like his character, (Draco, duh) so he is either physic, or just likes Emma Watson! I hope he's right.

Just as a note, Hermione's absolute real birthday is September 19, according to JK Rowling. She was born in 1980 (mugglenet), so this chapter is technically set in 1996. Harry's birthday is July 31, 1980, and Ron's is March 3, 1980.

Chapter 10: Shopping

The next day, Hermione could not go anywhere without instigating a reaction from someone. Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs hissed threats at her, while Slytherins silently cheered her on. Quite a few students who were in the DA were not at class. Apparently, they had not yet recovered from whatever spells hit them the previous night.

Hermione couldn't help laughing when Neville walked by with his nose so swelled by the boils on it, he appeared to have a pumpkin attached to his face. In Care of Magical Creatures class, Ron and Harry mimed blasting the pair of Slytherin girls with their wands. Crabbe and Goyle tottered over, looking moronic yet threatening, and managing to make the boys nervous.

When Sarah and Blaise's Krup got loose and knocked Seamus Finnigan over, the whole sixth years Slytherin group burst out in raucous laughter. The Gryffindors clenched their fists and fingered their wands angrily. If it hadn't been for the attentive eyes of the teachers, duels would have broken out all over the school.

At dinner, the Slytherins were all in high spirits. They had enjoyed annoying students from the various other houses immensely. Everyone chatted happily about who was still in the hospital wing, who said what threat in class, and who jinxed who in the halls. Hermione and Pansy went to bed, still very happy and very much the stars of Slytherin.

* * *

Two days later, Pansy, Blaise, Sarah, and Hermione all walked giggling into Hogsmeade, looking cute in casual wizard clothes or muggle clothes. Their first destination was Radical Robes [A/N: Anna :) ]. Pansy dragged Hermione to a side aisle, where all the formal dresses were located. Blaise and Sarah went off to another section of the store.

"Pansy, why can't I just wear my blue robe from the Yule Ball in forth year?" Hermione asked hurriedly. "If it's too small, I can put and enlargement charm on it. It would work out fine!"

Pansy sighed, "Hermione, you don't wear the same dress twice, even if it was from two years ago. It just isn't done. There are so many beautiful robes here. You'll find a great dress here, and I know you'll never want to think about you last ones again!"

Hermione slowly looked through the huge variety of strapless, backless, low or high neckline, short, long, colorful, and black robes. She wasn't even sure where to star. Finally she chose a couple to try on: a pale blue v-neck gown, and a full-skirted white robe. Unfortunately, Pansy said no for both. "'Mia, the blue one is two long and plain, and the white one looks too much like wedding robes. Try these instead." She handed Hermione a backless black one, and an off the shoulder purple robe with silvery white insets.

"Pansy, I'm not sure this black one will work out. It has practically no back. " Hermione called out. Pansy forced her to come out of the trying-on rooms eventually, however.

"No, you're right it looks too long and makes you look stretched out. Try the other one on." Directed Pansy. When Hermione was persuaded to come out wearing the violet robes, Pansy shrieked "Perfect!" immediately.

"No, Pansy, the top part is so revealing. It might slip down or something!" Squealed Hermione, looking uncomfortable.

"Nonsense. It will stay on perfectly well. Look in the mirror. " She pointed, "Girl, it is so beautiful on you! You have got to get!"

The dress started with pretty silver trim forming a very wide, off the shoulder v-neck. Long sleeves with a cut along the bottom, allowed soft, silvery fabric to spill out, making the sleeves into a bit of a trumpet shape. The dress hugged Hermione well, showing off curves normally hidden by the loose school uniform. The skirt of the dress robe was slit down the front, starting at the waist, revealing fine pleats of silver fabric like quicksilver, which rippled beautifully when Hermione moved. It finished by draping perfectly at her feet.

"Well, it is nice," she conceded.

"What do you mean! You look like a goddess! Come on, let's get shoes and some stuff to put in your hair." Pansy said firmly. As soon as they were back in their normal clothes, the girls took their dresses and headed to a section full of shoes. Right away, she selected some silver high heels for Hermione to try on, and a pair of 3 inch red stilettos to go with her red, strapless dress robe.

"Uh, pansy, are you supposed to be able to walk in these? I don't think I can move, let alone dance." Said Hermione after trying on the first pair..

"You can practice every day and you'll get used to them. Those are perfect for your dress." Pansy declared as Hermione tottered in a pair of sliver stilettos that tied up around her calves. After choosing some tiny mirrors and jewels to put in their hair, and paying for everything, Pansy and Hermione decide to go to the Three Broomsticks and wait for Blaise and Sarah to meet them.

"Do you know yet who you are going to go with? Has Draco asked you?" inquired Hermione, as the both sipped butterbeers.

"Mia, Draco and I stopped going out after the Yule Ball. We realized it just wouldn't work out, so we are just friends. I'll probably go with Miles Bletchly." Said Pansy simply. "I think Draco might ask you, though. I believe he likes you."

"WHAT!!! Pansy, come on! He doesn't like me. Why would he like me?" Hermione said shocked. "I have horrible bushy hair, I know zero about fashion or make up, and I'm a bookworm."

"Hermione, you are so much more than that. You are defiantly pretty. I'll show you how to do your hair and makeup and give you some fashion tips, if you'd like, but you don't need it. You have a pretty face and with your hair straight, you would be a total doll! You have so much spirit too. When the Gryffindors tried to kick us out of that meeting, I never thought you'd be one to suggest we fight! It was even you're idea to go to the meeting although you knew they might not like that. Anyway, guys are noticing you just as you are. I've seen you turn plenty of heads in the Great Gall. As for Draco, he can't take his eyes off you. Just trust me, you will defiantly get a date to the Christmas Ball." Pansy answered.

Just then Blaise and Pansy appeared and decided to drag them off to Honeydukes Chocolates to buy some edible parchment.

* * *

On Wednesday morning, the dormitory door slamming woke Hermione. She sat up and pushed her hair out of her face. Glancing around the room, she saw all the beds except her own were empty. Hoping she wouldn't be late for class, Hermione threw on her uniform and dashed out of the room. She thought the common room was empty until a dozen voices chorused, "Happy birthday Mia!" Almost all the Slytherins she knew were pressed against the wall, grinning at her. In a pile nearby were lots of presents.

In astonishment, Hermione gazed at her friends. "How did you know?" she asked in amazement.

"You didn't think my parents would forget their newly discovered god-daughter's birthday, did you?" Said Draco. "They told me your 16th birthday was September 19th and I told everyone else."

Pansy came forward and took control. "You are going to open your presents now," she ordered, steering Hermione, who was still agape, toward the pile of gifts. The present opening began.

Half an hour later, Hermione had a beautiful album full of pictures of her parents, their friends, and even herself as and infant, which the Malfoys had assembled. They had also given her and entire new wardrobe! Casual clothes, beautiful dress robes, jeans, shirts, hats, shoes, accessories, everything! Hermione knew that they were family friends, but she was blown away by this generosity. Draco had given her a pretty necklace and matching earrings in the design of tiny silver snakes, studded with malachite and emerald chips. The exquisite jewelry fit her perfectly, ands she beamed at Draco. He smiled back, causing the color to rise in her cheeks. From Pansy, she had received a huge kit of makeup: eye liner, shadow, mascara, lip gloss, lip stick, lip pencils, powder, blush, creams, even a ferocious looking eyelash curler. "Now I can show you how to do your makeup," she quipped, grinning. Blaise had given Hermione a pile of chocolates and goodies from Honeydukes, and from Sarah, a large gift account to the Hogsmeade bookstore.

"You guys are awesome! I love you all so much! This is my best birthday ever! I can't thank you enough!" Hermione declared once all the gift opening was finished.

It was still quite early. Because the group had wanted the common room to themselves, the Slytherins had all woken up sooner than usual. Blasé and Pansy took Hermione up to their dormitory so they could fix up her makeup, clothes, and hair.

When they finally allowed her to look in the mirror, she saw Hermione still, but a different version. This girl had straight, silky hair, large dark eyes, smoother skin, and soft, pink lips. She was glad her friends had made her makeup look somewhat natural and surprised with how pretty she looked. "Goodness, I look like I could be in a fashion magazine! How do you do this?" she asked happily.

"We'll show you in the afternoon, its time for breakfast," replied Blaise. Hermione decide to wear some of her new clothes to breakfast, so Pansy selected a purple skirt and a white sweater with draping sleeves and a low v-neck. Hermione slowly put on the pretty necklace and earrings, even if they didn't match her clothes perfectly.

When she sat down in the Great Hall, lots of people complimented Hermione. "Great look!" Sarah called.

"You look really pretty," said Draco quietly from across the table.

"Thanks." Hermione said trying, and failing not to blush. Draco just smiled however. Maybe Draco did like her, as Pansy had suggested.

Owls flooded into the Great Hall as the morning post arrived. A large flock of black screech owls flew over the Slytherin table. An owl landed by almost every person, delivering a green and sliver envelope. A few of the black owls landed at the Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff tables to deliver identical letters. Harry and Ron stared at the Slytherin table, which for a few seconds appeared to be a strange, feathered animal due to the onslaught of owls.

Once the table and air had cleared, Hermione picked up the envelope that had been deposit

ed next to her. All along the table, people did the same. Sliding her finger into the corner, she tore it open. The letter inside was a fancy invitation. There was a green M embossed at the top of the card, which read:

Dear Hermione Lavinier,

You are cordially invited to the annual Malfoy Halloween Ball on October 31, at the Malfoy Manor.

We hope you will be able to attend,

Sincerely,

Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy

In addition, scrawled at the bottom was:

Happy Birthday Hermione!

Draco -

A/N: Yay! So, what's going to happen with Draco and Hermione? I'm not sure if I want Harry and Ron to be nicer, or stay mean and nasty. I suppose they are more versatile when they are mean, because they can fight more, he he he. Well, I might have the Halloween Ball next chapter, also Harry, Ron, and Ginny talk about Hermione. Does anyone out there think that I should have Victor Krum come back? One of my, cough -weird- cough, friends thinks that would work, but he's 19 now. Well, more review answers at the bottom.

-Alianne-

Hyper Dudette: Thanks. Well, I have read fics where they dance and stuff, including a memorable on with a tango, but I'm a very bad dancer, so I wouldn't be able to write any dances. I'll probably just focus on them liking each other.

Daegogurl619: Okay!

Supreme Neo Slytherin Countess: Sure, potty, weasel, and weaselette are such wimps. Potter, you are such a baby. By the way, thanks, because I just couldn't find that section where she slaps him, but I've bookmarked it now. Slytherins rock! He he he…

Storywritter10791: Well, the slytherins were always mean, but they are the protagonists, so their opposites have to be mean. He he he..

Dodgerismine: Thanks. The Slytherins are the best, I don't know how anyone can favor wimps like the Griffies. Don't worry, I totally agree with you! Question: should Harry and Ron talk to Hermione, or continue to shut her out?

Itangel: Glad u like it. Griffies are stupid, Griffies are stupid… I definitely wanted the Slytherins to be kind, so you could see them from Draco's POV. I also was sick of stories with Draco having really mean parents, and him not wanting to be a death eater, I thought, lets have Hermione become, the death eater, so that's what's going to happen. Pansy's speech is not really my thing, but it was cool.

Saturn neko: okay!

Avery88: Glad u like it. I hate the Griffies, too (can u tell?) Okay then, cool name.

Remix20002: I know, I was sick of D going nice, so H is going evil. I don't like it when Pansy and Blaise are just portrayed as ugly sluts, they have a personality too. Thanks---

TaraYo: Yes, H is probably going to be a DE. She is on the dark side. Why wouldn't I answer that? I like evilness (Corey, u have to read my story, he he he) The other houses: Gryffindors don't like that Hermione is going Slytherin so easily and fast, Ravencalws and Hufflepuffs are all just confused and worried by all the death eater kids running around. They think she is kinda evil, especially after busting up the DA. Questions are okay (though I did drive my scuba teacher mad wit them). See ya.

Rock and Sarcasm: glad u like it.

DarkPrincessPyro99: Nice chappy, yah!

Scholcomp7: happy u enjoyed it.

Lala the Panda: Yes, Hermione is evil. H and D, as shown in this chapter, are attracted to each other somewhat. Slytherin is my house to, OMG! Later!

Well, bye everyone, thanks.

-Alianne-


	11. Invited? ME?

A/N: Hi there!!! I'm really sorry I didn't update sooner, but this past couple weeks has been really weird. I've been alternately suffering writer's block, having great ideas, then when if try to transfer them to paper, I have trouble filling in the parts between the action parts. I've also started a second story (yes, I know it isn't a good idea, but I have to get out this idea) It sounds cliché, but its actually a new idea ( i think). I'm also thrilled to be at nearly 100 reveiws! I love you guys!

Anyway, sorry if this is kind of different, but Word has died on my computer, so I'm forced to use less user friendly software. There might be some grammar issues since this lacks spell check. Also, i would like to recommend a few excellent stories: Res Ipsa, by cottoncandy9128, Advanced Muggle studies, by FracturedFaerie(she is my all time favorite author), and Return to Eden, by DracoDew17 (this story actually has many similarities to mine, even though I only read it after I was to about chapter 5 of this). Enjoy!

**Everyone Has A Dark Side**

**Chapter 11: Invited? ME?!**

Hermione stared at the card. Glancing down the table, she saw that every Slytherin had been invited, as well as a few students from each of the other houses. Draco must have gotten hold of her invitation, however, and personalized it, since al the other cards she could see had only the top writing.

She looked up to find him watching her. She smiled shyly, he grinned back. Hermione blushed and stared into her oatmeal. Pansy whispered, "See, I told you! Well, are you going to go?"

"Of course. Uh, if this is on Halloween, are you supposed to dress up in a costume, or do you wear dress robes?" Asked Hermione

"A couple first years might wear costumes, but no one else does. Oh, and to answer your other question, this isn't the kind of thing you need a date to go with. The Malfoys just have a ball every year, and it is SO much fun! You'll enjoy yourself."

* * *

Over at the Gryffindor table, mild chaos had ensued. Ginny was staring at the green and silver envelope next to her plate with an expression of mingled shock and fascination. All her friends were goggling at it, too. "Why don't you open it?" suggested Pavarti looking envious. Ginny did so, and read:

Dear Ginevra Weasley,

You are cordially invited to the annual Malfoy Halloween Ball on October 31. We hope you will be able to attend.

Sincerely,

Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy

She and her friends gapped at the card, until Ron snatched it out from under her nose. He and Harry scanned it quickly. "No way. Ginny, you are not going to this. Why on earth would you be invited, even? How did they know your first name? Have you been hanging around the Slytherins?" Ron demanded suspiciously, glaring at the far table.

Ginny's mind spun. While she had absolutely no idea why she had been invited to the Malfoy's ball, she was a social person and was excited to have the opportunity to go to a ball not hosted by Hogwarts; since the school dances were often rather boring. She wanted to go, but she knew she could not say this to her brother, he would have a fit. "Of course I don't want to go, Ron. And, I have no clue why I received this." she lied quickly.

"Good. Those Slytherins are trouble." Ron said shortly.

Ginny watched Hermione laughing with her friends. Why on earth had she been sent this invitation. Maybe the Slytherins intended playing a joke on her, but she could just avoid them. There were bound to be people from other houses at the Ball that she that could hang around with. She also wondered how the student's were supposed to get to the Malfoy Manor. Most were too young to Apparate, the train trip to London would take hours, and Floo powder, although efficient was not the best way to travel when you were dressed up for a dance. The Malfoys were rich, and Ginny guessed they would set up a port key to transfer all the students at once.

She looked back at the Slytherin table. A boy with longish, dark hair was watching her, but looked away quickly. Ginny blinked. "Oh, he is soooooo hot!" breathed one of her friends.

"Who?"

"That guy with the dark hair. He's in the 6th year, I think. I wish I knew his name." Ginny sighed. She hated it when her friends obsessed over guys. She had plenty of crushes, and had gone out with several guys, but she did not have to talk incessantly about them. She grabbed the invitation and shoved it in her school bag while Harry and Ron weren't looking, then left the table. She decided to go to transfiguration early, since she wasn't in the mood to start giggling about what to wear with her friends.

* * *

Back at the Slytherin table, Hermione got up and went back to the dormitories to change into her school uniform. She would gladly have worn her new clothes all day, however, since she loved them. She kept on the serpent necklace. It was too pretty to take off, she decided, and tucked it under the neck of her robes. She hurried down the stairs and out of the common room so she wouldn't be late for arithmancy.

* * *

That night at dinner, when the food appeared, so did a huge chocolate cake with _Happy Sweet 16 Hermione_ written on it. Although she did not ask, she could tell her friends had arranged it by their grins. "I love you guys!" she said happily, as they all tucked into it, leaving dinner for later.

When Hermione fell asleep that night she was the happiest she thought she had ever been in her life.

* * *

On Thursday, just over two weeks after her birthday, while Hermione was chatting with her friends at break, her pocket burned her. She scooped out the DA galleon, looked at it, and then glanced at her friends. "Can you guess what this means?" she asked, grinning conspiratorially.

"There're having another meeting?" said Pansy.

"Yes. Its at 7 PM on the 5th, that's tomorrow. I suppose they didn't want to chance us 'overhearing' anyone talking about the next meeting." her eyes glinted and she smirked. "Do you think we should pay them a little visit?"

"Why not?" asked Blaise, her voice laced with mirth. "Lets tell everyone after class. Maybe we can plan a nice little surprise for Prince Potter and his friends."

* * *

When the Slytherins had all gathered in their common room, Blaise, Pansy, and Hermione called Draco, Sarah, Theodore, Millicent, Crabbe, and Goyle over. Eyes shining, the three friends told the others what they had found out.

"They're having another meeting -"

"- that defense club thing -"

"- and we thought -"

"- we could go by and pay them a bit of a surprise visit!"

The nine students grinned at one another and, in perfect unison, said, "Perfect!"

* * *

"Are you _sure_ you know the wand movement for the conjunctivitis curse?" Blaise asked Sarah. The latter scowled.

"Blaise, we've been over this - I've got all the hexes stuck to my brain - permanently."

"Calm down, this will go fine, you worry too much." coaxed Pansy. Their group was currently secreted in the owlery. A few excited 4th and 5th years had come along too, as well as some 7th years from the Quidditch team who held grudges against Potter due to hard losses in the past.

Hermione glanced at her watch, and tugged on Pansy's sleeve. Their plan was for the two of them to go down the corridor of Barnabas the Barmy and lurk out of sight until the saw the last few people arriving for the meeting. Before the DA members could lock the door of the Room of Requirement, the pair was supposed to signal the rest of the ambush group by singing a loud chorus of Weasley is Our King, so the rest of the Slytherins would know they could approach without alarming arriving members. Then Hermione and Pansy were to enter the Room of Requirement and annoy the DA while the others came.

It was 6:45, so the two girls slipped out of the owlery to find a place to conceal themselves before anyone arrived. There were some small alcoves behind the suits of armor in the hall, but the girls weren't sure they would be properly hidden behind them. Hermione felt along the tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy attempting to train trolls for the ballet. She suddenly exclaimed, "Pansy, there's a space behind this!" She pulled up the corner and reveled a hollow behind the tapestry. It seemed as though it might be part of a secret passageway. However, the girls were to busy to notice or care, for they could hear faint voices echoing up the stone passageway. They slipped behind the ancient hanging and let the cloth flap down. Kneeling in the niche, the girls pushed the tapestry out from the wall just enough to se the hall.

The first person around the corner was Ron, closely followed by Harry, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Luna, Susan Bones, and Terry Boot. Harry proceeded to walk back and forth across the hall, forehead scrunched up in thought. Suddenly, a door appeared in the wall and, turning the ornate handle, the seven people made their way inside. Over the next 15 minutes, more than two dozen more people arrived. When Zacharias Smith finally came plodding along and went in, Hermione decided that just about everyone had arrived. She and Pansy slipped out. Pansy began singing loudly while Hermione stood by the door, out of sight of the DA members, but able to see if anyone came to close the door.

"_Weasley can not save a thing,_

He can not block a single ring,

That's why Slytherins all sing,

Weasley is our king!"

Unfortunately, Hannah Abbott came around the corner at that moment. She took in the two girls and Pansy's song and opened her mouth to yell a warning for the people inside the room. "_Petrificus Totalus!"_ muttered Hermione and Hannah was immobilized, her mouth still only half open. Pansy signaled a thumbs up, and Hermione grinned, just as the remaining Slytherins dashed around the corner, wands out. The two girls quickly slipped through the door.

The Room of Requirement was full again of happily chatting people, but this time the atmosphere had a tense, fragile quality. Hermione was not sure whether the reason for the many glances at the doorway was the song or people waiting for Hannah to arrive.

As soon as the room's occupants set eyes on the girls, everyone froze and an impenetrable silence gripped the room.

In a sappy, sarcastically sweet voice, Pansy cooed, "Hi there!"

The girls observed as Ron turned scarlet and swelled threateningly, while Harry's eyes crossed as the attempted to keep calm. "I'm sorry, I think the Death Eater meeting was moved to the Forbidden Forest, didn't you hear?" He said sarcastically.

"Oh, no, we are here for the DA meeting," replied Pansy.

"No you aren't!" Ron yelled, "If you're here, you are here go get blow up. Get out!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think any of us want to leave, Weasel King!" taunted Hermione.

"Any of you? Sorry, but you seem to have trouble counting. I only see two of you," snarled Harry.

Blaise and Draco entered, laughing. "So sorry you can't see, even with those glasses, Potter." drawled Draco, smirking.

"Whoops, who can't count now?" giggled Sarah, as she, Millicent, and Theodore sauntered in, too.

"What the f-" Ron's exclamation was drowned out by Harry's bellow.

"Get OUT Malfoy!" Some of the DA members in the background looked terrified and cowered. The bolder ones attempted to look disdainfully at the invaders, although when coupled with the anxiety the next arrivals incited, the disdain turned to fear. Crabbe, Goyle, and Montague lumbered in, followed by a few giggling 4th and 5th years.

Many people were now cursing under their breath and warily watching the Slytherins, all of whom had their wands out and ready. Even Harry and Ron looked a bit wary. "Leave!" Harry commanded angrily.

"Sorry Potter, we aren't planning on going until we choose to . You may either shut up and stop disturbing us, or _you_ can leave. See, simple choice really, that is if your tiny little mind can comprehend such a difficult concept." said Draco scathingly. The Slytherins sniggered and Harry fumed.

"Just get out!" he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Are you going to make us Potter? All by your self? Because I don't think any of those other morons plan on taking us on." Draco taunted, clearly relishing making Harry furious.

Harry glanced at the quaking people behind him. It did look as though few there relished the concept of fighting Draco's group. Harry glanced at them. "Come on! What are you - a bunch of cowards? If this is how you act facing a few Slytherins, how can you expect to fight Voldemort? We outnumber them two to one. Lets get them!" He ended his speech by striding forward and crying, "_Impedimenta!_" Harry's grand display was ruined, however, when no one else in the DA crowd uttered a word, and the Slytherins simply cried, "_Protego!_" in unison, reflecting the jinx right back at Harry, who ducked, cursing.

Draco smirked. "If that's your attitude, _Furnunculus!_" He said, aiming his wand at Harry, who, lacking the time to put up a shield, had to dodge out of the way. The curse hit Dean Thomas in his face, which immediately became covered in large, red boils.

Promptly, chaos ensued, as everyone shot the worst jinxes, hexes, and curses they knew at each other. Hermione cried, "_Flamacten!_" while next to her, Blaise shot off a stunning spell, and Pansy shot a jet of hot sparks at a Hufflepuff.

Hermione reflected Ernies's stunning spell back at him, and hit Collin Creevy with "_Tarantallegra!_" The 5th year immediately began a wild tap dance, and fell down. To her right, Draco's yell of "_Densaugeo!_" caused Neville's teeth to grow rapidly. Hermione vaguely remembered a similar experience in the 4th year.

A few minutes later, the Slytherins stepped back to observe many people lying unconscious, frenziedly dancing, cradling enormous appendages, attempting to extinguish their burning robes, or nursing minor injures. Harry was searching for his glasses, which Draco had conveniently vanished, while Ron, whose hair was singed, had been stunned.

Hermione's friends had not escaped completely unscathed, however. Sarah was summoning the wands of a few of the younger kids, who had been disarmed. Montague had been stunned and Goyle was gazing mesmerized at his boil covered arm, as though he had only just realized that it existed. Luckily, the Slytherin's were in general much better at both defensive and offensive magic than they let on, and were much better off than the DA members.

After helping the people with difficulties, the group of friends slipped away, before their angry adversaries came after them. Back in their common room, the Slytherins chatted, laughed, and relived their exhilarating defeat of the DA.

A/N: Hey again! What did you think of it? The next chapter is mostly about the ball, so that will be good. I recently ran into , which has wonderful archives of info. That's where I found out Ginny's full name, Ginevra Molly Weasley, and that Mia's middle name is Jane. Anyway, please review, and tell me what you would like to see happen. I'm eternally gratefull for all your reveiws, unfortunatly, i'm on a tight schedule today, so i can only answer a few questions. Thanx!

-jtangel: they were shopping for the Christmas ball, the Halloween ball is at the Malfoy Manor, and they only found out about it after the Hogsmeade weekend

-Darkprincesspyro99: i love the dress, to. I actually draw for inspiration, so if i can get my scanner or camera working, i can email pics to ppl.

-artemisgirl: u got what u wanted didn't you?

**Alianne**


	12. Halloween Ball: The Dinner

**Everyone Has A Dark Side**

**By: Alianne**

A/N: Hey! Sorry, I know it's been a while, but my excuses are school, cross-country, getting a BF and then breaking up, homecoming, and various guy problems. I may remove the A/N and comments in the previous chapters to make reading simpler for new people, so I hope no one minds. Anyway, R/R! 

**Chapter 12: The Halloween Ball - the dinner**

Ginny Weasley had not attended the DA meeting. She was too busy with homework, Quidditch, and on top of that, trying to plan for the ball. It was October 5th already, and she was wondering how she would be able to get dress robes and shoes for the ball without Harry or her brothers noticing. And she'd have to get out of the common room and down to the Entrance Hall with out being seen or stopped by anyone in her house on the day of the ball. This was a daunting prospect, considering how overly protective her brother was. She resolved to get up early on the next Hogsmeade weekend, which was the Saturday before the ball. She would get all her stuff and be back before anyone was the wiser. As to the day of the Ball, if worst came to worst, she could put the body-bind hex on Harry and Ron.

When Harry, Ron, and a variety of other demoralized Gryffindors entered later on, she pretended to be deeply entrenched in a large book, while she let her mind browse over ways to flout her brother.

* * *

Hermione found that she and her friends were considered heros among the Slytherins for the next few days. True, now it was all of the 6th years, not just her and Pansy, however Hermione was not a jealous person and didn't mind. She realized that she had surprised the other Slytherins when, on Saturday, she talked to Draco. They were both doing homework in the common room, when Draco asked, "Hermione, correct me if I'm wrong, but I never expected you'd enjoy breaking rules and fighting in the halls. You were always so perfectly behaved."

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Uh, I really don't know. I kind of surprise myself sometimes. Maybe its what I told you back during the summer - I'm not Hermione Granger any more." Hermione said smiling slightly.

"You really astonish me sometimes," said Draco, shaking his head and grinning back crookedly. Soon, though, the two had to return to their awaiting heap of homework.

* * *

Ginny's eyes flicked open. A glance at her clock showed her that it was 8:00 AM, while her calendar dutifully informed her that it was Saturday, the 27th of October. Suddenly, her brain cells kicked in, and Ginny leaped sleepily out of bed. It was the Hogsmeade weekend before the ball, and she had to get her dress and stuff before anyone she knew saw what she was buying in Hogsmeade, and realized that she planned to attend the Malfoy Ball.

"Oh joy," she said sarcastically to herself, not relishing the prospect of evading her brother and his friends. She quietly sipped on some causal clothes and grabbed her purse. Then she tiptoed out of her dormitory, which was still filled with her sleeping friends. It being early on a Saturday morning, the common room was mostly empty. There were people in the halls, but Ginny did not see anyone she knew and hoped she was okay. The other Gryffindors were probably sleeping in, glad not to have to go to classes, or tired from finishing homework.

She grabbed a slice of toast and then was checked out by Filch, who crossed her name off the list of students who had their parent's permission to visit Hogsmeade. She quickly left the grounds and proceeded down the road to the village.

Ginny headed straight for Radical Robes, which, to her relief, was open already. She sadly walked past the shelves of fancy dress robes to those on sale, since she knew she didn't have enough money saved up to afford a fancy, expensive dress. She cheered up though, when two pretty dresses, one pink, and one a shade of deep blue caught her eye. The pink one had cute puffed sleeves, a low neckline, and pretty rhinestone swirls on the front. The strapless one in indigo had a pale blue pattern right at the top and tiny chains of silver beads hanging down, some longer and some shorter. These formed a moving, silvery V.

Ginny wished she could let a friend in on her secret, so she could have help and advice. She felt so naïve as to what one should wear the ball of one of the most influential families in the world, yet she didn't feel she could trust any of her friends not to try to protect her by telling her brother of her plan.

She tried both dress robes on, and eventually settled on the dark blue. She was happy with how it looked and the price was too good to ignore. She hurried to find a pair of silver high heels to match, since she had noticed a younger Hufflepuff entering the store. At least Ginny was not nervous of wearing a sexy dress or four-inch heels, the way Hermione was.

After she had paid (a very reasonable amount, she thought considering how nice the dress robes were) she hurried back to Hogwarts. As she was heading up a third floor staircase, she heard a very familiar voice. She dived behind a large statue of an extremely ugly warlock, just as Harry and her brother appeared. There was no way they could miss the large bag she carried, which had the twirling and flashing Radical robes logo emblazoned on it. Luckily, they were deep in conversation, probably about either Quidditch or the Slytherins and did not notice her.

Ginny was very relived when she finally shut the door to her dormitory with the dress, and locked it deep in her trunk. She walked back down to the Great Hall to get some more to eat, before heading out to Quidditch practice.

* * *

When Halloween rolled around, finally, Hermione was happy, excited, and a little nervous. She, Pansy, Blaise, and Sarah spent almost the entire day washing, drying, curling, straightening, exfoliating, manicuring, pedicuring, charming, painting, and powdering. They experimented with every possible hairstyle, did their makeup to look like magazine covergirls, and worried over their dresses, jewelry, and shoes.

By five o'clock, Hermione's hair was curled into hundreds of tiny ringlets. Half was pulled up into an elegant twist, while the rest hung to her shoulder blades and framed her perfect face. With Pansy's eager help, Hermione had applied violet eyeliner, mascara, a shimmering wave of purple eye shadow, blush, and silvery lip gloss over a coat of foundation that made her flawless skin look even better. She loved the way it gave her a spacy, goddess-like look.

The girls put on their dresses, yet again. Hermione wore a short, flirty lilac dress robe with intricate spirals of silver glitter drifting down from the low neckline. It was one of the ones Draco's family had given her in her birthday wardrobe. Pansy had on a green dress that hugged her slim form perfectly. She coupled it with silver makeup and a curtain of blonde hair. Blaise's black robes had tiny mirror chips scattered across it, making both her and those facing her dance with fairy lights. She had done her face in pink shades, and pulled up all of her dark hair, letting her mirror earrings dazzle onlookers. Sarah looked radiant in a gold robe, too tight to be allowed at any school function, while she flipped over her beautiful hair. She put ebony around her eyes and used ruby lipstick, looking more like a twenty year old than a student. Once the girls had put on their towering heels, they carefully proceeded down to the common room.

The place as packed with milling students all dressed up for the party. From the top of a staircase, the crowd looked to Hermione like a swirling pattern of color, like the time she had seen the exotic birds being fed at the Botanical Gardens. The girls spotted Draco and their friends over near the door, with some seventh years and went over to them. They guys all wore solemn black dress robes that contrasted sharply with the girl's colorful and provocative dresses. It was like huge butterflies in a group of penguins.

Then, everyone started heading out of the common room and up toward the Great Hall. Hermione was swept along with the entire Slytherin house, looking forward to the dinner and later, the ball.

* * *

Ginny locked the dormitory door with her wand, then pulled her dress robes and shoes from the bottom of her trunk, and lay them on her bed. She carefully slipped on the dress, while at the same time attempting not to ruin her carefully applied makeup and styled hair.

It was shortly before the dinner for the ball was supposed to start, and Ginny had been locked up in her dormitory for hours fixing herself up. Her hair was straightened and twirled up into a pretty updo on her head. She had spread glitter lightly on it, so it shone and glittered. She had also worked hard to make her makeup look perfect, but not too obvious. Matte foundation smoothed her freckled complexion, while shimmery pink shadow accented her eyes and her long, dark lashes.

Glancing at her clock, she noticed in alarm that it was 5:15. The dinner started in less than 15 minutes, and she was planning to take time to avoid anyone in Gryffindor. How was she supposed to manage that?

After strapping on her shoes, she poked her head cautiously into the common room. She noticed with relief that it was empty. Since it was a warm, sunny day, it was likely that most of her house was enjoying Quidditch or swimming with the giant squid. Suddenly, a seventh year girl came down the stairs, wearing dress robes. Ginny realized she must be attending the ball.

The girl, who was wearing dazzling emerald green robes, stared at Ginny. "You're going to the Malfoy Ball, too?" She asked. Ginny nodded. "Gosh, I thought I was the only one from the whole of the Gryffindor house going. My cousin, Sarah Moon, is in Slytherin, you see, so I was invited. Well, we'd best hurry up so we get to the dinner on time."

Ginny followed her out of the portrait hole; "I'm not really sure why I was invited. I don't know any of the Slytherins, except Hermione. I decided to go anyway, just because it's a chance for me to get away from my brother and family, and have fun," she said suddenly.

The older girl looked a little confused. All she said, however, was, "Oh."

They passed many inquisitive students in the halls, mostly Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaw, and one or two Gryffindors. Luckily, Ginny didn't see anyone she knew. Then again, if anyone she knew saw her, would they even recognize her? They would probably think her to be a Slytherin.

The Great Hall was crammed with dressed up students, almost all Slytherin, when the two Gryffindors reached it. Ginny felt terribly self conscious walking down the marble stairs, especially since a number of people watched her, curious as to whom this girl they didn't recognize from Slytherin might be. Ginny swept her eyes over the people, hoping there might be someone she know, but the only non-Slytherin person she recognized was Hermione, who was in conversation with her new friends. They were all dressed in outrageously tight, short, and sexy dresses, and sky-high heels. Ginny wondered who had managed to convince Hermione to put on anything that revealing.

Ginny sighed mentally. She had thought a lot about the confrontation she'd had with Hermione and deeply regretted it. She understood Harry and Ron's feelings, of course. She know what good friends they had been with Hermione and how painful it must be for the boys to see her associating with their sworn enemies. And the Laviniers were notorious. Yet, Ginny also realized that Hermione was a good, smart person. She told herself that Hermione couldn't possibly just change like that. Perhaps, she thought, she ought to go over and apologize to her. She just hoped that the other Slytherins wouldn't try to kill her or do something horrible, since she was a Gryffindor and 'Weasley'.

* * *

Hermione chatted with Blaise, Pansy, and Sarah, while observing the first years. She thought they looked terribly mature for eleven-year-olds. She was sure she had not looked so adult at that age. Many of the girls looked down right slutty, too.

Suddenly she noticed a familiar face. Ginny Weasley, who was wearing a set of pretty, deep blue dress robes. "Hermione." Ginny blurted out immediately, "I wanted to say that I am so sorry about everything I said to you before. I don't think you are a bad person, and I understand that although you are in Slytherin you are still the same great person you were before. Can we still be friends?" the younger red head said in a rush.

Hermione blinked. Ginny had just apologized to her. Wow, she hadn't expected that. "Uh, thanks Gin. Its okay, I'll forgive you." The younger girl looked relived, but blushed when she realized all Hermione's friends were staring at her. She glanced at Hermione again, then, still red, she quickly fled out of sight behind a group of third year girls who were comparing their four-inch stilettos. Before Hermione could wonder even why Ginny was at the party, however, the door of the Great Hall was pushed open by a pair of House Elves and the bunch of students headed for the one, extra long table set up in the Hall.

When all the students had found seats, little silver menu cards hissed into existence before each person. Most of the Slytherins knew how this process worked and promptly stated their meal choices to the empty air. The cards then vanished with a slight sizzle and presently, the first courses appeared. Hermione smiled happily at the chicken parmesan before her, while Ginny enjoyed the raspberry soup she had ordered. Draco tucked into medium rare steak, and Blaise and Pansy both ate quiche.

Soon, the students had munched their way though a delicious meal and tasty desert. As if they had heard a silent command, everyone began to get up and head toward the Entrance Hall. Ginny and Hermione did not know what to expect, but Hermione followed her friends and Ginny followed Hermione. It the Entrance Hall, Dumbledore stood next to a long, ornate stair banister. He directed the students to line up on either side of the banister, since it was the portkey that would take them to the Malfoy Manor.

Hermione stood between Blaise and Sarah, her manicured fingers touching the varnished surface of the banister. "Three, two, one," Dumbledore counted off, and then Hermione felt a familiar, jerk-like sensation in her stomach. Ginny, standing behind the older Gryffindor girl, felt her stomach clench nervously, but not because of the portkey. This was it; she couldn't go back now. If her parents or siblings had any idea where she was going… well, thankfully, for now they didn't. She tried to concentrate only on the fun she would have that evening.

Suddenly, all the students were rushing past swirling, colorful landscapes, buffeted by the air. Then they landed hard on the Marble path before the majestic entrance to the Malfoy Manor.

A/N: Hey! Finally, I can write the Ball! The parts beforehand slowed me down terribly, because I didn't know how I would get everything done before Halloween…oh, ignore my musings, please.

Well, I can't do the individual replies right now, but I would like to thank everyone: Miss Morg Malfoy, Lynx-chan (thanks for the reminder :) ), Sly Slytherin Princess(thanx :) ), slyswn28, Jaid Ziaen(I liked your review a lot!), badgrlEm(you to, thanx), Tara-Yo (that's okay), Callie (thanks for reminding me :) ), scarletbabe15 (you'll get your kisses soon), dragonmon trainer 5, I-LOVE-SPENCER, A Perfect Lie (100th!), padfootlover1, ruby the troll(no, I like kittens), nikki (you left a really nice review), artemisgirl (loved the review, and that's a cool idea, hmm), charlotte-lefay (wow, thanks), rock and sarcasm(sorry, I didn't send my story before, I'll do it right now) yeaimcrazy (sure!), anigen, and Remix2002. I love you all so much! And especially, thank you A Perfect Lie for being my 100th reviewer! R&R! Thanx!

**Alianne**


	13. Halloween Ball: The Dance

Everyone Has A Dark Side

By: Alianne

A/N: It is the fic's 1st birthday! Exactly a year since I started it! Sorry for taking so long to update! I'm not exactly sure what I want to do with this story, so it's taking a while to materialize. I hope you enjoy this chapter, though.

**Chapter 13: The Halloween Ball - The Dance**

Hermione was smart enough to know not to gasp or cry out "Oh my God!" at the sight of the grand Malfoy Manor. Ginny did not, however."Wow!" She hissed loudly. Everyone around her glared at her as if to say, "Well, what did you expect?" or "No, duh!" The little Weasley girl ducked her head immediately, blushing profusely. Hermione shrugged to herself. The Manor was huge and very impressive, but this was Draco's house. His family was one of the oldest and richest wizarding families in England, so the grandeur was somewhat expected.

She followed her friends as they led the way up a set of marble stairs to the huge, carved mahogany front doors. They entered a high and decorated front hall, which had family portraits and expensive tapestries hanging on the tall walls, as well as antiques placed on small, velvet-draped tables.

They turned down a few more impressive halls and entered into a massive ball room at the back of the manor. There was a big, open dance floor. Along one side were located small, two, or four person tables, where guests could sit down with their friends. Along another wall was a refreshment table, where a few house elves were presumably serving pumpkin juice.

A third side of this room contained large French windows, which opened on to a brick patio area. Down a short flight of stairs, the gardens began. Hermione could see lots of trees and a path lit by candles, winding though it. How exquisite!

The band playing was the Weird Sisters, and at that moment, they started playing one of their hits, a fast song. Hermione listened to the beat. She saw Pansy and Blaise dancing to it. She tried to move to the music a little. Soon, everyone had found his or her way to the ballroom, and the dance floor was crowded.

* * *

Ginny had dropped back into the crowd after she had embarrassed herself with her outburst, and now she felt rather lost. She didn't really want to dance, at least not until later. She wandered out onto the patio and stared into the woods for a while. She though they were quite extensive, sloping down a hill, with the gently lit path running through sections for at least half a mile. In the distance, Ginny could see the moonlight glinting off a large body of water, probably a lake or a river.

Closer to the house were paths, neat patches of plants or grass, and a small pond surrounded by draping willows. Enchanted candles floated among all of this, so those people walking, alone or as couples, could see their way. Here and there were shadowed benches. Ginny blushed when she noticed that quite a few happy couples had already discovered these and were kissing in the semi darkness.

She wandered back through the French windows to the refreshment tables, where she got a cup of pumpkin juice. Then she watched the dancers. Pansy, Blaise, and Sarah were energetically dancing to the Weird Sisters' music. Hermione was too, although not as well as the other Slytherin girls. Ginny was not surprised - Hermione was not the kind of girl to do much dressing up and dancing.

The song finished and some of the dancers headed out onto the patio or over to the drinks table. The next song was a slow one. Miles Bletchly, Pansy's boyfriend, came over to her and put his arms around her waist, while she put her arms on his neck. They moved back and forth slowly, in time to the music. Blaise was dancing nearby with her boyfriend, as well. Sarah and Hermione, however, walked over to get drinks.

* * *

Hermione had so far enjoyed the dance. She hadn't ever had very much experience dancing, and at first felt a bit out of her element, but she watched what her friends were doing and tried to do the same.

When the first slow song came on, Hermione tried to look around surreptitiously for Draco, but didn't see him. She was rather jealous when she watched Blaise and Pansy drape themselves over their respective boys and start slow dancing. She and Sarah, who was also currently single, made their way towards the table of drinks, where they each got a glass of pumpkin juice.

Hermione was watching the dancers when someone behind her asked, "Herm-own-ninny?" (AN: Ha ha ha! Surprise!) She spun around to see Viktor Krum staring at her.

"What are you doing here?" She blurted out, completely astonished.

"I am getting hurt in Quidditch, so I am vorking vith the British Ministry of Magic Department of Magical Games and Sports to organize Quidditch event. Very interesting," he said. She noticed that his English had improved only marginally. "Vat are you doing 'ere?"

Hermione told him that she was one of Draco's friends and a little bit of what had happened to her since she had last seen him. They had been talking about various subjects, although mainly Quidditch, when Vicktor asked her, "Herm-own-ninny? Uh, I know dat vhen ve last vere seeing each other, ve, uh, vere having feelings vor each other. But, uh, I feel dat maybe dis can't really vork out, since ve live so far avay from each other. I think it might be a güt idea vor us to just be friends. Vat about you?"

Hermione tried to hold back tears - of course - she had read enough books and seen enough muggle movies to know exactly what he was doing - he was breaking up with her. Trying to keep her voice steady, she said, "Um,

perhaps you are right, V-viktor. But we can still be f-friends, can't we?" She looked up at him nervously.

"Of course ve can," said Krum sounding almost too friendly. He glanced around and then said, "Oh, there is sumbody I vant you to meet." A girl a few years older than Hermione, wearing a short red dress came up to Krum and slipped her hand into his, saying, "Oh Viktor, don't you want to go dance?"

"Emma, dis is Herm-own-ninny, Herm-own-ninny, dis is Emma. Emma is my girlfriend. She vorks at the Ministry, too."

Hermione's face when very pale and she gaped at Krum, her lip trembling and tears pooling in her brown eyes. "She's, she's your girlfriend? Up until a minute ago, I thought _I_ was your girlfriend! How could you do this to me!" She yelled, her voice high and shaky.

Next second, Hermione was dashing out of the ballroom, though the French door, down the steps, and into the woods, tears pouring down here cheeks. She rushed down the path, oblivious to the couples who disengaged their lips long enough to glance up as she passed. She found a dark, empty bench and collapsed, sobbing and murmuring under her breath, "How could he? How? How! I thought, thought he cared about me. If only I had known…."

A minute or two passed, and Hermione calmed down enough to notice the quiet chirping of crickets and the splashing of a stream that she could only just make out by the reflection of the stars in it.

Suddenly Draco appeared from the dark path and sat down next to her. "Hermione, what's wrong? I saw you rushing out of the house and down here crying. Are you okay?" He put an arm around her in a gesture of comfort.

Hermione hiccuped and said " I just saw Viktor Krum. He broke up with me then immediately introduced me to his slutty girlfriend. He'd been cheating on me! For who knows how long!" She started weeping again.

Draco awkwardly tried to comfort her. "How could he do that to you! The horrible guy. He doesn't deserve you. You are so clever and so beautiful, Hermione, you deserve much better than him. Don't cry. It's all his fault, remember, he's just a stupid guy. It'll be okay." He hugged her.

Hermione looked up at him with tear filled eyes, "Really?" she asked, her voice still shaky.

They were quite close together now. Impulsively, Draco leaned forward and kissed her, just lightly touching her quivering lips with this won, then pulling back. "Really," he told her.

Hermione smiled shy at him. Her heart was beating very quickly now. Viktor had kissed her on the cheek a few times, but this was her first 'real' kiss. She was suddenly conscious of her wrinkled dress, mussed up hair, and puffy eyes. However, before she could worry about that, Draco's soft lips had closed on her own, as he kissed her again. This time, he did not pull back and instead deepened the kiss. Hermione was very startled, but eventually she began to kiss back. Soon, she had her arms wrapped around Draco, her previous distress completely forgotten.

* * *

Ginny had been very surprised to see Viktor Krum turn up at the party. She'd seen him talk with Hermione and then a blonde girl had come up to him. The little Weasley had watched Hermione blanch and begin crying, then yell at Krum and run off outside. Draco had followed her immediately. She could easily understand that Krum must have acquired a new girlfriend, and this had upset Hermione.

When Ginny wandered outside again, with her cup of pumpkin juice, she heard Hermione's friends talking about Krum. They said he hadn't been invited to the Ball, but that the blonde girl was a Hogwarts alumni, who had been a Slytherin before she graduated. She must have brought Krum with her.

Glad that her life was not as complicated as Hermione's seemed to be, Ginny waked back inside to watch the dancers. The current song ended and the Weird Sisters began a slower one.

Suddenly, off to a side of her, a voice asked, "Um, hi! Do you want to dance?" She looked around to see a boy about her age with short brown hair and blue eyes watching her a little nervously. "My name's Damien Pritchard. I'm a fifth year."

"Okay," Ginny said. She thought he looked kind of cute, with his hair slightly ruffled up in the front and a friendly grin. She put her arms around his neck, while he held her waist. They swayed back and forth slowly.

"So, you're Ginny Weasley, fifth year too, right?" He asked.

"Uh hu," she replied. "I'm in Gryffindor."

"I know." Damien said. "So, are you having a good time tonight?"

" Yeah, I guess so." She didn't feel it would be nice to complain that she felt lonely because she didn't know anyone, when he had just gone out of his way to ask her to dance. She smiled, "I've seen so many new people. I had no idea Slytherin house was so big."

"Yes, there are a lot of us. You can't tell as will in the Great Hall at meals and stuff, since you can't really see down to the far end of the table."

Ginny grinned, "I know. Say, what's your Quidditch team?" Sometimes having six brothers was quite an asset. For example, she knew most of the popular Quidditch teams, their best players, where they were from, and such, due to endless Quidditch talk between the boys.

"Oh, I like the Manchester Eagles best, though the Southampton Lords are really good, too. " The two fifteen year olds talked about Quidditch for the whole dance. When the song ended, Damien suggested they get drinks and maybe go for a walk.

* * *

Draco and Hermione broke apart to catch their breath. "Are you feeling better? " he asked her slyly.

"Yes," Hermione said happily. She straightened her dress and tried to smooth her hair. Draco helped her. "Um, do you want to go back inside and maybe dance?" She asked shyly.

"That's a great idea," Draco replied, helping her up. They began to make their way back through the woods to the Manor. "Uh, do I look okay? My makeup isn't too smeared, is it?" Hermione asked.

Draco looked at her seriously. "Hermione, you look beautiful. Really, you do." He said as Hermione blushed. Grinning he added, "Pansy believes firmly in waterproof makeup, I think, so don't worry. Anyway, you're so pretty, you'd look lovely with out any makeup on."

The couple made their way up the stairs, through the French doors, and onto the dance floor. The band was playing a slow song. Perfect. Draco looked at Hermione; "May I have this dance?" He asked gallantly.

She giggled, "Of course." He put his arms around her waist and they began to sway gently to the music, turning slowly around.

The next song was another slow one, so the two teens just carried on dancing. Like most of the couple on the floor, Draco had pulled Hermione close, so they were pretty much touching, but Hermione didn't mind. She rested her head happily on his chest, thinking about how wonderful her life seemed at that instant.

* * *

Ginny and Damien were also back on the dance floor. Ginny found Damien to be really nice and good mannered, with sense of humor to match his cute grin. She was surprised how easy it was just to talk to him.

After a good hour of dancing and talking with Damien, he suggested they go for a walk in the woods. Ginny liked this idea, too. Soon they were wandering along the path holding hands. The woods were lit by little floating candles, but here and there they saw fairies. These little glowing things were one of Ginny's favorite magical creatures.

When they got back up to the manor, Ginny heard her favorite song playing, so she and Damien went out to dance yet again. As they moved in time to the music, Damien asked, "You don't have a boyfriend, do you?"

"Hu?" Said Ginny, who had been staring into Damien's blue eyes with her green ones. "Oh, no I don't. I was going out with Dean Thomas at the beginning of the year, but he was no fun, since he was obsessed with Gobstones Club -" She broke off. They were quite close together now, and about the same height. All he would have to do was lean forward slightly -. Damien pulled Ginny close as he gently kissed her. She closed her eyes happily and returned the kiss.

* * *

The dance was over all too quickly for Draco and Hermione, who had spent the rest of it dancing. As the last song ended, Draco hugged her and gave her a final sweet kiss on the forehead, before they followed the tide of students back out to the front of the manor, to portkey back to Hogwarts.

Draco noticed a younger Slytherin, Damien Pritchard, holding hands with Hermione's 'friend', Ginny. He pointed this out to her. "Look who Weasley's little sister hooked up with. That guy is a fifth year prefect. He asked me to give her an invitation, so that's why she is here."

Hermione observed the couple. "Well, she has that long, beautiful red hair, so that's probably why he likes her-"

"She is not nearly as pretty as you are," Draco interrupted her.

She grinned, "Thanks. I hope Ginny is careful, though. I somehow doubt that the two perfect Gryffindor guys will be happy with Ginny going out with a Slytherin."

The students all lined up along the banister again, and again, Hermione felt the jerk in her stomach as she rushed back to school, after a wonderful Halloween evening.

* * *

When they landed in the Entrance Hall, Dumbledore, who was waiting for them, sent everyone straight up to their respective dormitories. It was after curfew, since the dance had finished at 11:30, and he warned them that they could get into trouble if they didn't go straight to bed.

Hermione and Draco, still holding hands wandered slowly back to their common room in the dungeons, along with most of the students. Ginny made her way up the marble staircase, as did the Gryffindor girl that she had met as she left the common room hours ago, and a few Ravenclaws.

When Ginny peered though the portrait hole, she feared she would see her brother and Harry sitting in the common room, like they usually were. Luckily, either they had finished their work or gone to bed early, since they were nowhere to be seen.

Ginny rushed up to her dormitory, where, thankfully, her roommates were asleep, and were not able to ask any questions about where she had been or why she was wearing dress robes. She sank into bed after hiding her finery in her trunk, and thought dreamily of Damien as she fell asleep.

A/N: Thank you: **Ravenclaw-Chick** (sorry my review posted twice, I didn't realize it had. I'm glad you reviewed); **Helkardowen**; **SaintEmO**, **EMMA holmes** (thanks, b/c she was talking about the Gryffindor girl she met in the common room before the ball) **Sly Slytherin Princess** (one of my loyal reviewers!); **runaway mental patient** (lol! You got what u wanted);**Tara Yo** (part of your question above, the rest will come soon); **jtangel** (thanks, same as for Tara Yo); **sappjody; Slytherin in Mind; me; Mese** (sorry I was so slow, I hope your guy problems improve!); **Slytherin ice princess **(yup, they kissed! I liked your fic, now fics, but don't do too many, or you won't be able to keep them all going); **malfoy-rox; phoenix0710; mizzyfreak7** (thanks, um, she got so mean to the Gryffies b/c she was so upset how they turned on her when she found out who her parents were**), valentines-hater** (u mean she forgave Ginny? Wait and see, that's not over yet!); **Lady Ghost Buster** (sorry, I suck at grammar stuff, as my English teacher would happily tell you); **Slyswn28; bIsHiE-hUnTa** (that is a cool idea, I think Ginny would be better, since Catherine is outspoken and brave, quiet studious Hermione would have to be more OOC than headstrong Ginny.)

Hope I didn't miss anyone! **Please R/R**, Thanx!

Alianne


	14. NOTE: Permanent Hiatus

**Everyone Has A Dark Side**

**By: Alianne**

**Author Note: Permanent Hiatus**

To all you wonderful reviewers of this story out there: I'm terribly sorry to be doing this, yet I don't want to leave you all hanging any longer.

After much thought, I've decided to stop writing this fic, for a number of reasons. My parents continue to hassle me about my love of fanfiction, and won't let me take time from other things to write and type up my chapters. My muses seem to have deserted me….all the inspiration and ideas I had for this story seem have left me. And I just don't have enough time for fanfiction any more.

If any of you out there have an idea for this story, and possibly want to take it over and continue it, you are very welcome to. Leave me a review with your email, and I'll email you the Word files for it. You can post it on your account and continue it from there. I'll take it down here.

I'm very sorry about this. I'd always hoped, when I found stories that stopped half way along, sometimes with ANs, sometimes without, that mine would not end in the same way. But alas.

If anyone wants to contact me at my LiveJournal (more friendly than ff . net ), it is **www . livejournal . com / users / alianne erinae **(sorry about the spaces, it complained). It's friends only, but you can comment on my FO banner.


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